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Ghostly Calligraphies

Though calligraphy is the art of writing, that art is measured by the interpretation of the beholder. Using the tools of a writer, whether that be the brush, ink, paint or pen the artist can create a connection between symbol and gesture. Unsurprisingly, calligraphy finds a home in the Abstract Expressionism movement that followed the end of World War II. The likes of Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler and Franz Kline sought to create deeper connections with the self and express what was reserved for the interior in a much more honest way. But that interior may be filled with an interest in the fantastic, plagued by grief or consumed by miserabilism. Though Kline is the artist from the movement of Abstract Expressionism most associated with the use of calligraphy, Bernard Buffet, featured here on Artsper, also began to convey the personality of his interior by 1947 – after war had ended. The Parisian-born Buffet tried to save money and used very little paint on his canvases. Therefore there was little variety in color, and mostly grey, black and green tones are seen in his portraits. The grey faces, wrinkled foreheads, thinning hair and contracted hands took on a crucified, ghostly appearance. Whilst the likes of Bruno Mallart modernizes his version of ghostly calligraphies by merging it with digital techniques. 

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Print, La géante, Bernard Buffet

Bernard Buffet

Print - 71 x 50 x 0.3 cm Print - 28 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

$3,037

Painting, Décantation, Monkeybird

Monkeybird

Painting - 77.5 x 36.7 x 1.5 cm Painting - 30.5 x 14.4 x 0.6 inch

$3,159 $2,843

Print, Snow Blossoms, Swoon

Swoon

Print - 61 x 46 x 0.1 cm Print - 24 x 18.1 x 0 inch

$1,458

Sculpture, Rock on Fire, David Paul Kay

David Paul Kay

Sculpture - 30.5 x 40.6 x 25.4 cm Sculpture - 12 x 16 x 10 inch

$5,467 $4,373

Sculpture, Sans titre, Bault

Bault

Sculpture - 38 x 29 x 4 cm Sculpture - 15 x 11.4 x 1.6 inch

$1,397

Sculpture, Sauvage, Grégoire Devin

Grégoire Devin

Sculpture - 48 x 45 x 20.3 cm Sculpture - 18.9 x 17.7 x 8 inch

$4,500

Painting, Mr Brain, Fabien Verschaere

Fabien Verschaere

Painting - 92 x 65 x 3 cm Painting - 36.2 x 25.6 x 1.2 inch

$6,682

Fine Art Drawings, Tower, Geneviève Seillé

Geneviève Seillé

Fine Art Drawings - 89 x 84 cm Fine Art Drawings - 35 x 33.1 inch

$4,738

Print, Rock and roll, Mana Key

Mana Key

Print - 70.5 x 50 x 3 cm Print - 27.8 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

$1,093

Print, Primary styles 66, Cren

Cren

Print - 37 x 37 x 2 cm Print - 14.6 x 14.6 x 0.8 inch

$729

Painting, Sans titre, Charles Djerry

Charles Djerry

Painting - 173 x 90 x 1 cm Painting - 68.1 x 35.4 x 0.4 inch

$3,037

Print, Cui-Cui, Bault

Bault

Print - 70 x 50 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 inch

$109

Print, Sans Titre, Shaka

Shaka

Print - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$401

Painting, Bar Italia, Mana Key

Mana Key

Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$462

Painting, Composition, Jacques Herold

Jacques Herold

Painting - 63 x 48 x 0.2 cm Painting - 24.8 x 18.9 x 0.1 inch

$1,701

Fine Art Drawings, L'espoir en vert, Evelyne Postic

Evelyne Postic

Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.01 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

$1,033

Painting, Bestioles, Bault

Bault

Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$4,373

Fine Art Drawings, Sans titre, Charles Djerry

Charles Djerry

Fine Art Drawings - 62 x 51 cm Fine Art Drawings - 24.4 x 20.1 inch

$1,701

Fine Art Drawings, H-, Eugénie Lichet

H-

Eugénie Lichet

Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

$97

Sculpture, Poule, Madame

Madame

Sculpture - 25 x 25 x 0.5 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.2 inch

$231

Painting, Love is the answer, Sane2

Sane2

Painting - 80 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch

$1,215

Print, Horse, PixelPancho

PixelPancho

Print - 53.3 x 83.8 cm Print - 21 x 33 inch

$1,100

Fine Art Drawings, Monster Black 1, Bault

Bault

Fine Art Drawings - 18 x 13 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.1 x 5.1 x 0 inch

$267 $241

Print, Dragon, Sane2

Sane2

Print - 42 x 29 x 0.1 cm Print - 16.5 x 11.4 x 0 inch

$96

Print, Rita, Bernard Buffet

Bernard Buffet

Print - 66 x 51 x 0.1 cm Print - 26 x 20.1 x 0 inch

$1,701

Print, Lumina Street print, Faile

Faile

Print - 91 x 63.5 x 0.1 cm Print - 35.8 x 25 x 0 inch

$1,093

Print, Annabel, Bernard Buffet

Bernard Buffet

Print - 66 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 26 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$1,652

Print, Les Fleurs, Bernard Buffet

Bernard Buffet

Print - 76 x 57 x 0.1 cm Print - 29.9 x 22.4 x 0 inch

$4,252

Print, Homard, Bernard Buffet

Bernard Buffet

Print - 56.5 x 75.5 x 0.1 cm Print - 22.2 x 29.7 x 0 inch

$4,252

Print, Lamp, Bernard Buffet

Bernard Buffet

Print - 49.8 x 65 x 0.1 cm Print - 19.6 x 25.6 x 0 inch

$2,916

Print, Un Clown, Bernard Buffet

Bernard Buffet

Print - 72 x 51 cm Print - 28.3 x 20.1 inch

$4,616 $4,386

Print, Modern Living, Faile

Faile

Print - 50 x 64 x 0.1 cm Print - 19.7 x 25.2 x 0 inch

$911

Print, Tournesol, Bernard Buffet

Bernard Buffet

Print - 32 x 24 x 0.02 cm Print - 12.6 x 9.4 x 0 inch

$4,252

Print, Zara, Swoon

Swoon

Print - 48 x 33 x 0.05 cm Print - 18.9 x 13 x 0 inch

$3,037

Painting, Ripple Effect, David Paul Kay

David Paul Kay

Painting - 100 x 150 x 4 cm Painting - 39.4 x 59.1 x 1.6 inch

$15,793 $12,634