Gaston CHAISSAC 1910-1964

Gaston Chaissac was born in 1910 in Avallon, into a modest family. A self-taught artist, he discovered painting thanks to the painter Otto Freundlich, who encouraged him to pursue an artistic path outside of academism. Settling in the Vendée region with his wife Camille, a schoolteacher, he transformed his rural life into a veritable experimental studio.

His work, which he himself described as "modern rustic painting," was created on a variety of media: canvases, wood, sheet metal, paper, and recycled objects. The black outlines that define his figures, the vibrant colors, and the naive forms convey a joyful inventiveness, nourished by humor and poetry. Chaissac never separated painting and writing: his abundant letters to Jean Dubuffet, Raymond Queneau, and Michel Ragon were an essential part of his work, where correspondence became creation. He is celebrated today as "a painter and letter writer with a multifaceted."

Chaissac occupies a unique place in the history of 20th-century Art. Close to Dubuffet, he is associated with "Art Brut," but his work transcends this category: it embodies a profound modernity, where apparent naivety conceals radical lucidity and freedom. He died at the age of 54 in La Roche-sur-Yon, leaving behind a rich and varied body of work, now preserved in numerous museums and collections. His art continues to fascinate with its authenticity and vital energy.