Artist : Alain Michel Boucher (1944-2020)

Title : The factories

Technique and support: Gouache and bomb on glossy paper

Special features of the work: Original painting by the artist signed at the bottom right

Dimensions: 46 x 58 cm

State : Good

Provenance: Artist's studio Alain Michel Boucher,, The invoice engages the responsibility of the gallery as to the authenticated work.

Reference : "Eloge of color, conscience of the world", Alain Vircondelet, Editions Mediane (see photo)

Expert's comment: Alain Michel Boucher is a quirky, dreamer and poet artist who shows us the real world around him but also his inner world fueled by a flamboyant and colorful imagination. His works are daring, powerful and rich and they emanate a true and captivating scent of life that only a talented being in tune with his environment can share with us. It is the moment and inspiration that guides the choice of subjects, formats and technique. This approach leads the artist to make series full of tenderness, humanity and hope despite the difficulties of the contemporary world. The painting of Alain Michel Boucher from 1967 to 1987 (his Norman period) was first of all abstract and then became semi-figurative. His rather dark palette of colors lets us glimpse the universe threatening cities and factories but his painting is never sad. Indeed, in the series of "planetary" the joyful rhythm even in the absence of color makes it possible to soften the fury of the machines and the solitude of men. In the series of "factories" it is the color that softens the hard life of these workers who nevertheless manage to be happy. From 1975, he painted the series "imaginary characters" whose symbolic presence designates the human species. The artist paints crowds, groups of uprooted men and women as planted there while waiting for something, in a derisory intended. But the absence of apparent features of the characters and the daring of colors show the need to live together in joy. From 1987, the artist lives in the Gers and his colors fed on multiple sensations, new feelings of exquisite tenderness, sun, joys and infinite. But they have also matured from the sorrows, the violence of the world and a particular indifference specific to the artist. Throughout his career, Alain Michel Boucher will be influenced by the artists of the Cobra movement: Corneille, Pierre Alechensky, Jean Michel Atlan, Asger Jorn and Karel Call. Just like them, his drawing is expressive, simplifying and spontaneous. The color, for its part, sometimes intersects on the limit of the identifiable. His art, based on truth and optimism, advocates a return to natural and instinctive values. The subjects dealt with abstract or semi-figurative by the artist are focused on man and his emotions. This man is an inseparable being of his environment in the broad sense and therefore Humanity, women, love, city, factories, nature, birds ... are undoubtedly the artist's favorite subjects.

Artist's biography: Alain Michel Boucher was born in 1944 in Normandy in peasant parents. From the age of 3, he decides that he will make painting but he was diverted from his vocation by the family environment. He dropped out of college to work as a cabinetmaker in an antique furniture restoration workshop and in 1967, he began drawing on his own. His military service in black Africa makes him discover a world of unknown colors which he will later integrate into his palette. He then set himself in Rouen and frequented the evening lessons of the School of Fine Arts with as a teacher: robert savary and Leon Toublanc. He works in various jobs at night (night watchman in a factory, truck washer, hospital stretcher bearer, etc.) and draws during the day. Toublanc immediately believed in the young artist's talent and convinced him to present two paintings at the 1970 Salon d'Automne at the Grand Palais where he won the Othon Friesz prize. In 1987, Alain Michel Boucher moved into the Gers in Lectoure or his painting became colorful and bright. Many salons and personal and collective exhibitions follow in France and worldwide. His works are present in many museums in France and abroad.

This comment as well as the biography below were developed by our experts using the various reference works on the artist in our possession, any copying is therefore prohibited.