Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Color-Field, 2020

Christian Manoury  

A contemporary Abstract Expressionist Color-Field acrylic on canvas by French artist, Christian Manoury. Signed to the back of the canvas.

Inspired by the wonderful light in the South of France, a beautifully strong and colourful painting. The painting catches the light and changes throughout the day. Manoury has a way of capturing the energy of light within his colours which fly and dance across the background. This is a piece to lose yourself in again and again.

This artwork features a striking minimalist composition characterized by six distinct swatches of textured paint on a stark white canvas. Each swatch showcases a bold, contrasting color—starting with a dynamic blend of green and purple at the top, progressing through earthy browns and vibrant yellows, followed by neutral beige, deep purple, and concluding with a commanding black. The deliberate placement of these colors creates a vertical line, drawing the viewer's eye downward through the piece. The textured application of paint adds a tactile quality, inviting close inspection. The simplicity combined with the bold color choice embodies a modern aesthetic, emphasizing the power of color and texture in evoking emotion. This piece's minimalist approach highlights the artist's skillful control over paint and color, creating a compelling visual experience rooted in subtle complexity.

Born in Paris, Manoury studied Fine Art at the Grande Chaumière, Paris. He had his first show at Galerie Audouin, St Germain, Paris.

Manoury spent the 80s and 90s working as a free-lance fashion designer for various luxury brands, travelling worldwide. Christian has always been interested in Art with a particular fascination for African and Papua New Guinean Tribal Art and has built up a considerable private collection over the years. He has also contributed to various prestigious collections.

In 1994 he spent time painting as a full-time artist in the Hamptons, under the wing of Larry Rivers.

This was followed by a period of designing furniture and more fashion, but Christian has always kept a studio wherever he lived (New York/Paris/London/Spain..) and enjoys painting whenever time allows. Today he paints full-time in the South of France where he now resides.

Christian says ; « Painting for me is COSA MENTALE »

Where the first paintings were figurative and subjective, searching for the meaning of being and the origin, his latest work is more impressionistic and minimalist.

His travelling companions are the music of Debussy, Satie and Philip Glass.