Landscape Sign, 1984 Olivier Debré

Landscape Sign, 1984 Olivier Debré Grands Maitres Edition: lithograph 53 x 73 cm After studying architecture and literature, Olivier Debré (1920-1999) turned to painting. He defines himself as a painter of reality but not in an imitative lineage. Inspired by the landscapes of Touraine that he particularly likes, he translates his feelings on canvas or as here on paper. Classified by some within the group of "abstract landscapers", Debré seems to escape any categorization, so unique is his career. He himself spoke of a "fervent subjective abstraction" From the 60s, he began a long series of "Landscape Signs". The lithograph that we are offering, with generous dimensions, belongs to this series. The artist wanted to capture a form of essentiality of nature, without going through its copy, what he calls "sign". A kind of equivalent of nature with pictorial means. He explains: "For the sign to be alive, it had to be spontaneous and my fervor to pass through it and the difficulty was that consciousness kills the fervor". Which implies a form of improvisation in the creation. In this composition, the large horizontal strokes have the lightness of water (that of the Loire fascinated the artist). They are simply punctuated by two green strokes at the top and bottom. This representation of fluidity is reinforced by the delicate texture of the red surface. The work is in very good condition