Movement Free Figuration
Across several countries in the 1980s, artists began moving away from abstraction and offering instead figurative and colourful paintings; Neo-expressionism in Germany, Trans-avant-garde in Italy, Bad Painting in the United States and Figuration Libre in France. Artists of Figuration Libre (Free Figuration) took the “freedom" to represent all forms of art without the barriers of origin or the hierarchy of “high" and “low" cultural value. Works belonging to Free Figuration were suitable for both applied, fine, cultivated, Western and non-Western art.
Free Figuration received a lot of media coverage in the 1980s, and was built around prominent figures such as Robert Combas, Hervé Di Rosa, Richard Di Rosa, Rémi Blanchard, François Boisrond, Louis Jammes, Pascal Le Gras and Catherine Viollet. Between 1982 and 1985, these artists exhibited several times in New York, London and Paris. They showed their works alongside their American counterparts: Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, Tseng Kwong Chi, Crash, Ronan Munuera and Psek. In 1985, Free Figuration was represented at the Biennale de Paris.
This new generation of artists was driven by both an enthusiasm and a nonchalance that juxtaposed the severity of 1970s Conceptual art, Arte povera and Minimal art. However, unlike the Italian Trans-avant-gardists and the German neo-expressionists, the Free Figuration artists did not take refuge in nostalgia. They instead indulged in current events, utilising comics, science fiction, suburban culture and children's drawings to influence their work. This inspiration can be clearly felt in Robert Combas' works, who explored monsters, rock music and robots in his paintings, whilst Hervé de Rosa was guided by African aesthetic and culture.
Robert Combas: French painter and sculptor who can be considered as the father of Free Figuration. His own works are usually completed on large, unstretched canvases and frequently explore the human figure and themes of war, crime and sex.
Hervé Di Rosa: French painter, sculptor, animator and key figure in the Free Figuration movement, his works are often impetuous and amusing, and are greatly inspired by comics and graffiti.
Richard Di Rosa: French sculptor and brother of Hervé di Rosa, Richard di Rosa was inspired mostly by comics, rock music and graffiti. He was additionally the only member of the Free Figuration movement to practise sculpture.
Catherine Viollet: French painter, Catherine Viollet, participated in the "Finir en beauté" exhibition with Robert Combas, Di Rosa, Jean-Charles Blais, Rémi Blanchard and François Boisrond.
Rémi Blanchard: first artist of the Free Figuration movement to exhibit at the Yvon Lambert Gallery in 1982. He also participated in the New York exhibition, "Statements New York 82" with Robert Combas and François Boisrond.
Discover the colourful, lively and enthusiastic artworks by our contemporary artists on Artsper now.
Hervé Di Rosa
Sauvetage dans le ciel
Hervé Di Rosa
Painting - 156 x 120 x 4 cm Painting - 61.4 x 47.2 x 1.6 inch
$29,215
Mourenx, la tour des célibataires
Hervé Di Rosa
Print - 50 x 35 x 1 cm Print - 19.7 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch
$169
Robert Combas
Marlène Deux Triques
Robert Combas
Painting - 17 x 15 x 1 cm Painting - 6.7 x 5.9 x 0.4 inch
$10,675
Guitare Eddie Cokran
Robert Combas
Sculpture - 97 x 34 x 2 cm Sculpture - 38.2 x 13.4 x 0.8 inch
$14,046
Sans titre
Robert Combas
Fine Art Drawings - 26 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.2 x 8.3 x 0 inch
$1,348
Bitonio à Deux Nez
Robert Combas
Painting - 65 x 54 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 21.3 x 0.8 inch
$73,039
Eulogia Merle
Black Sheep 202404
Eulogia Merle
Fine Art Drawings - 45 x 35 cm Fine Art Drawings - 17.7 x 13.8 inch
$437
My village, a child and a Lego
Eulogia Merle
Painting - 100 x 120 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 inch
$2,719
Black sheep 2024 02
Eulogia Merle
Fine Art Drawings - 45 x 35 cm Fine Art Drawings - 17.7 x 13.8 inch
$434
White Rabbit 15
Eulogia Merle
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 35 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 13.8 inch
$506
Black sheep 04 2024 01
Eulogia Merle
Fine Art Drawings - 45 x 35 cm Fine Art Drawings - 17.7 x 13.8 inch
$410
François Boisrond
Swiss boat
François Boisrond
Fine Art Drawings - 23.5 x 30.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.3 x 12 inch
$1,011
Le Moulin Rouge
François Boisrond
Fine Art Drawings - 23.5 x 30.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.3 x 12 inch
$1,011
Pierre Molinier
Skindo travesti debout
Pierre Molinier
Photography - 13.5 x 6 x 1 cm Photography - 5.3 x 2.4 x 0.4 inch
$1,686
Les femmes actuelles
Pierre Molinier
Fine Art Drawings - 12.5 x 10 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 4.9 x 3.9 x 0.4 inch
$5,618
Les Pieds amoureux
Pierre Molinier
Photography - 12.7 x 9.2 x 0.1 cm Photography - 5 x 3.6 x 0 inch
$4,270
Jean Meunier
Pierre Molinier
Photography - 17.6 x 12.6 x 0.1 cm Photography - 6.9 x 5 x 0 inch
$3,146
Skindo travesti
Pierre Molinier
Photography - 13 x 9 x 1 cm Photography - 5.1 x 3.5 x 0.4 inch
$1,686
Skindo travesti
Pierre Molinier
Photography - 13 x 9 x 1 cm Photography - 5.1 x 3.5 x 0.4 inch
$1,686
Autoportrait devant «Amours»
Pierre Molinier
Photography - 16.7 x 12 x 0.1 cm Photography - 6.6 x 4.7 x 0 inch
$1,573
Anton
Richard Di Rosa (dit Buddy)
La main au Pompon
Richard Di Rosa (dit Buddy)
Sculpture - 98 x 60 x 46 cm Sculpture - 38.6 x 23.6 x 18.1 inch
$8,428
Les jumeaux
Richard Di Rosa (dit Buddy)
Sculpture - 35 x 30 x 3 cm Sculpture - 13.8 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch
$3,933
Nina Narimanishvili
Exhibition 2/2
Nina Narimanishvili
Painting - 55 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 21.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$1,573
She Lay in a Meadow 1/2
Nina Narimanishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 19 x 25 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.5 x 9.8 x 0 inch
$1,236
She Lay in a Meadow 2/2
Nina Narimanishvili
Painting - 19 x 25 x 0.1 cm Painting - 7.5 x 9.8 x 0 inch
$1,236
Country Man
Nina Narimanishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 28 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.7 x 11 x 0 inch
$416
Little Clown
Nina Narimanishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$449
Kej
Simon Kroug
Spitzhore, Gsteig bei Gstaad
Simon Kroug
Painting - 110 x 80 x 0.01 cm Painting - 43.3 x 31.5 x 0 inch
$1,663
05.04.23-Boyshood
Simon Kroug
Painting - 48.5 x 66.5 x 0.02 cm Painting - 19.1 x 26.2 x 0 inch
$1,090
Bertrand Thomassin
Toujours la même chanson
Bertrand Thomassin
Painting - 62 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 24.4 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch
$1,910
La fête sous la neige
Bertrand Thomassin
Painting - 46 x 55 x 2 cm Painting - 18.1 x 21.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,348
Attendre octobre
Bertrand Thomassin
Painting - 40 x 120 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 47.2 x 1.2 inch
$3,259
Hold-up sur la terre
Bertrand Thomassin
Painting - 120 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch
$3,259
Les envahisseurs
Bertrand Thomassin
Painting - 30 x 90 x 3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 35.4 x 1.2 inch
$2,584
Toi, moi et la musique
Bertrand Thomassin
Painting - 73 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
$3,820
La fin du spectacle
Bertrand Thomassin
Painting - 130 x 195 x 3 cm Painting - 51.2 x 76.8 x 1.2 inch
$8,428