Gerard Garouste Biography
Gèrard Garouste was born in Paris in 1946
Gérard Garouste's works seem to arise from the depths of the psyche, they are built around mystery, always balanced between philosophy, psychoanalysis and literature. His is a figuration without concessions. His canvases are populated by deformed characters and disturbing atmospheres. They arise from associations of ideas, they feed on his family history and his obsessions, which he spoke about in his autobiography L'Intranquille (2009). Getting in tune with his dazzling visions means abandoning yourself to the dizzying game of allusions, trying to grasp the complexity of his art and the references that inspired him, above all Goya, El Greco, Chagall, Tintoretto.
Gerard Garouste studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris from 1965 to 1972, under the guidance of the abstract painter Gustave Singier. Later, he discovered conceptual art and Marcel Duchamp. In that period, he dedicated himself above all to humorous drawing and scenography for the shows of his author and director friend Jean-Michel Ribes. Since 1979 he has lived and worked in Eure, where he worked as a set designer and painter. In 1980 he exhibited for the first time at the Durand-Dessert gallery, presenting a figurative, mythological and allegorical painting. His first international exhibition was held in New York in 1982 at the Holly Solomon Gallery, followed by other exhibitions at galleries such as Leo Castelli and Sperone. Garouste was the only French artist invited to the "Zeitgeist" exhibition in Berlin. He also exhibited at the Cartier Foundation. A significant moment in his activity was the foundation, in 1991, of the association "La Source" in La Guéroulde, Eure. The association helps children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, even in situations of exclusion, to participate in artistic workshops led by professionals.
In 2023, the Musée national d'art moderni at the Center Pompidou will dedicate a large retrospective to him with 120 canvases, mostly large format, and a selection of sculptures, installations and drawings.
