Laubies on Nuagiste procedure

When a Chinese painter of the ancient high period began to paint, he first burned incense and gathered his thoughts in the calm of silence, concentrated his mind and meditated. He let life's annoyances slowly fade. His spirit free, he created space and communicated with the vital force that impels the universe. In harmony with Nature, it was She who guided his brush... This is how I meditate and paint myself, in India and the Sunda Islands, in the nature that I love, tropical and dense, or in the pure luminosity of the desert.

Quand un peintre chinois des Hautes-Epoques se mettait à peindre, il brûlait de l'encens, se recueillait dans le calme et le silence, concentrait son esprit et méditait. Il laissait les ennuis et le sordide quotidien s'évanouir peu à peu. Son esprit libéré, il faisait le vide en lui et communiait ainsi avec l'élan vital qui meut l'univers. Alors, en harmonie avec la Nature, c'est Elle qui guidait son pinceau... C'est ainsi que je médite et peins moi-même, dans les Indes, les îles de la Sonde, dans la nature que j'aime tropicale et dense ou dans la pure lumière du désert. 

Rene Laubies, Portraits et Aphorismes, (from the forward) 2001. 

Laubies, Aphorism No. 8

Pre-war abstract and geometric painting (Mondrian, Kandinsky, Circle and Square, De Stilj) has no great diffusion. It's only after 1950 that abstract painting starts to be recognized, and at the same time attacked. It is Lyrical abstraction, Tachiste, informele, Nuagiste that sustains. And this is why I think that abstract art is still in its infancy. It should return to nature (which is abstract) and be renewed by that.

La peinture abstraite et géométrique avant-guerre (Mondrian, Kandinsky, Cercle et Carré, De Stilj) n'a pas une grande diffusion. Ce n'est qu'après 50 que la peinture abstraite commence à être reconnue, et du même coup attaquée. C'est l'abstraction lyrique, tachiste, informelle, nuagiste, qui l'emporte. Et c'est pour cela que je pense que l'art abstrait n'en est qu'à ses débuts. Il doit rejoindre la nature (qui est abstraite) et se renouveler par là. 

(Laubies, 2001.)

Jean Fautrier

Passing through "la Vallée-aux-Loups", one arrived to Messagier's house. Fautrier had filled it with old furniture, dolls, Indian wall paper. Fautrier received sumptuously: glasses from Venice, old dishes and the ferocious machine-gunning of his contemporaries. Especially Dubuffet, César and others. There were always many writers and pretty women (at a given moment, a veritable harem: arriving one day I saw an enormous mulatto on the knees of an old shriveled critic). There was Paulhan, Ungaretti, Palma Bucarelli, Alvard, Iris Clert, jealous of Iolas and Tarika. Fautrier then retorted: "But my poor Iris, you have no money, you...." He discovered me and helped me win the Fénéon Prize in 1954. A critic of art, of which I made a career (what I made was an enemy; what could be more natural); each time I exhibit I am sent a dwarf, Japanese by preference, mulching at regular intervals "Fautrier, Fautrier." So if Fautrier were someone's father (he hardly liked paternity), it would be the materialists like Tapies, Leroy and others...

En passant par "la Vallée aux Loups", on arrivait à la maison de Messagier. Fautrier l'avait remplie de meubles anciens, poupées, papier peint à l'indienne. Fautrier recevait somptueusement : verres de Venise, vaisselle ancienne et mitraillage féroce de ses contemporains. Surtout Dubuffet, César et autres. Il y avait toujours beaucoup d'écrivains et de jolies femmes (à un moment donne, un véritable harem: arrivant un jour j'aperçus une énorme mulâtresse sur les genoux du critique rabougri). Il y avait Paulhan, Ungaretti, Palma Bucarelli, Alvard, Iris Clert, jalouse de Iolas et de Tarika. Fautrier lui rétorquait alors: "Mais ma pauvre Iris, tu n'as pas d'argent, toi…". Il m'avait découvert quand il ma fait donner le Prix Fénéon en 1954. Un critique d'art dont j'ai fait la carrière (ce qui m'en a fait un ennemi, quoi de plus naturel), chaque fois que j'expose m'envoie une naine, japonaise de préférence, paillant à intervalles réguliers "Fautrier, Fautrier". Alors que si Fautrier est le père de quelque chose (il n'aimait guère la paternité), ce serait des matiéristes comme Tapies, Leroy et autres… 

(Laubies, 2001.)

Mark Tobey

Faithful to the characters of Henry James he descended upon the Hotel Albany: gilt candelabras and cuddly toys 1900. He arrived from Basel where for the first time in his life he said "I have a house thanks to Beyeler." With Julien Alvard, whom much he loved (and who had also had an accident on his way to see him in California) we went to dinner at George Salles' house. Mark Tobey brought his paintings on paper and leaned them against the walls of the dining room, between Picasso, Masson and my paintings on the floor. "All of that holds and is held" said George Salles. Thus today I see a very beautiful red Tobey in the French museum.

Fidèle aux personnages d'Henry James il descendait à l'Hôtel d'Albany : candélabres dorés, peluches 1900. Il venait de Bâle où pour la première fois de sa vie disait-il "J'ai une maison grâce à Bayeler". Avec Julien Alvard qu'il aimait beaucoup (et qui avait eu un accident en allant le voir en Californie) nous allions dîner chez Salles. Mark Tobey apportait ses peintures sur papier et les alignait contre les murs de la salle à manger, entre les Picasso, Masson et mes tableaux par terre. "Tout cela tient et se soutient" disait Georges Salles. C'est ainsi que je vis un très beau Tobey rouge, aujourd'hui dans les musée français.  

(Laubies, 2001.)

Jean-Pierre Wilhelm ["A Germany turned in on itself"]

When I was tired of swallowing the snakes on which Paris nourishes its painters, I left either for Italo Magliano's place in Milan, or for Jean-Pierre Wilhelm's place in Düsseldorf. As I had known him in Paris as one who had translated all that was difficult, Malraux, Michaux, etc., when he returned to Germany I advised him to open a gallery. He and Jährling, in Wuppertal, brought a touch of something "other" to a Germany turned in on itself. This gallery [Gallery 22] served as springboard for the talent of Manfred de la Motte. He brought to light our German painter friends: Hoehme, Gaul, Schultze as well as the painters of Julien Alvard and Fautrier.

Quand j'étais fatigue d'avaler les couleuvres dont Paris nourrit ses peintres, je partais soit à Milan chez Italo Magliano, soit chez Jean-Pierre Wilhelm à Düsseldorf. Je l'avais connu à Paris, alors qu'il traduisait tout ce qui était difficile : Malraux, Michaux, etc. quand il retourna en Allemagne je lui conseillai d'ouvrir une galerie. Lui et Jährling, à Wuppertal, apportèrent une note "autre", dans une Allemagne repliée sur elle-même. Cette galerie servit de tremplin au talent de Manfred de la Motte. Il y fit connaitre nos amis peintres allemands : Hoehme, Gaul, Schultze, ainsi qui les peintres de Julien Alvard et Fautrier. 

(Laubies, 2001.)

N.B.: Jean-Pierre Wilhelm (1912–1968) was a collector, art historian and later the founder of Gallery 22 in Düsseldorf. He made contacts with gallery owners, especially in Paris, and with artists from abroad. Rolf Järling owned Galerie Parnass in Wuppertal.

Alexandre Iolas

His room at the Hotel Crillon was the cave of Ali-Baba: Greek marble, Egyptian statues, Matisse and Braque, small Max Ernst and Brauner, large Matta; all of that is now in Huston [with the Menil Collection] and at his villa in Athens all out of gold. His taste for and refinements to definitively established surrealism. Aesthete, he played with pink and yellow diamonds in his pocket, and paid us with dollars in boxes of chocolates. Former dancer he lived in and by beauty.

Sa chambre à l'Hôtel Crillon était la caverne d'Alì-Baba: marbre grec, statues égyptiennes, Matisse et Braque, petits Max Ernst et Brauner, grands Matta; tout cela maintenant est au Musée de Huston et dans sa villa à Athènes tout en or. Son goût sûr et raffiné à établi définitivement le surréalisme. Esthète, il jouait avec des diamants roses et jaunes dans sa poche, et nous payait avec des dollars dans des boîtes de chocolats. Ancien danseur il a vécu dans et par la beauté.  

(Laubies, 2001.)

Colette Allendy

Petite and replete, she reigned in her own Hotel de Passy where Artaud had put together "The Cenci." She was surrounded by the "Artauds": Blin, Marthe Robert, Adamov, Mrs Jouve and Paule Thévenin. Not having any prejudice, she accepted me among Picabia and Bryen and some "Café Society Americans."

Petite et replète, elle régnait dans son hôtel de Passy où Artaud avait monté les "Cenci". Il y avait autour d'elle les " Artaud" : Blin, Marthe Robert, Adamov, madame Jouve et Paule Thévenin. N'ayant aucun préjugé elle m'accepta entre Picabia et Bryen et quelques "Café society américaines". 

(Laubies, 2001.)

Matta

At Matta's, one fills the swimming pool: "This pipe is me, all the money that I make sets out again immediately. My women, my families, my house, and this swindler who exploits me (our merchant)..."

Chez Matta, on remplit la piscine: "Ce tuyau c'est moi, tout l'argent que je fais repart immédiatement. Mes femmes, mes familles, mes maison, et cet escroc la qui m'exploite (notre marchand)…" 

(Laubies, 2001.)

Nina Kandinsky

Nina, forever young at 80 years, walked through Gastaat with all of her diamonds on day and night. One night she was strangled by and for her diamond reverie, but then found them in quantities hidden behind the radiators. She lived just for that, as her friends the old billionaires who held the New York galleries in the 50s and 60s (before the tsar Castelli) lived just for whisky. A little babyish but managing Kandinsky's funds very well, like every painter's widow, she only had a liking for "her" period, forsaking Kandinsky's own best painting — that of Munich — created under the reign of a mistress — there's another.

Nina, toujours jeune a 80 ans, se promenait à Gastaat avec tous ses diamants en plein jour, en pleine nuit. Une nuit elle a été étranglée par et pour sa rivière de diamants, mais on en a trouvé des quantités cachés derrière les radiateurs. Elle ne vivait que pour cela, comme ses amies les vieilles milliardaires comme ses amies les vieilles milliardaires qui tenaient les galeries de New-York en 50-60 avant le tzar Castelli) ne vivaient que pour le whisky. Un peu bébête mais gérant très bien le fonds Kandinsky, elle n'avait comme toutes les veuves de peintres que " sa " période, délaissant la meilleure période de Kandinsky – celle de Munich, mais faite sous le règne d'une maitresse – à une autre. 

(Laubies, 2001.)

Peggy Guggenheim

I knew Peggy Guggenheim from Facchetti's place. She had recommended a painter to me with whom I became friends, and although very beautiful he was not a gigolo. Some time later when I spoke to her about him, she seemed to have lost all memory of him! Her collection is important and boring; it is the Ebbing Craft of painting: everything is there, very well indexed, but without soul.

J'ai connu Peggy Guggenheim chez Facchetti. Elle m'avait recommandé un peintre dont je suis devenu l'ami, mais quoique très beau il n'était pas gigolo; aussi Peggy ne savait plus qui il était quand je lui en parlais ! Sa collection est importante et ennuyeuse, c'est le Craft Ebbing de la peinture : tout y est, très bien répertorié, mais sans âme. 

(Laubies, 2001.)

My third winter season in Palakunnu (2010)

Palakunnu village is especially nice this year. And to think that we nearly decided not to come! We arrived to Cochin by flight from Kuala Lumpur on January 6th, 2010. We caught the Malabar Express that same night and arrived the next morning. Palakunnu village is the closest thing we have to a home. We can rent a room and pay for all we need. Costs are still exceptionally modest here. Our room is more spacious and fresher this year. Yoga and paint, sleep and write is just about all we do in there. It's nearly 2 kilometres from Kappil Beach, to which we walk most mornings around half past seven. It's a splendid shore with nobody on it, but a few sand poachers and infrequent passers-by. Interesting sea debris collects along the high tide line near shade-bearing palms and casuarinas. Fishing boats rarely land there....

Sometimes we take a morning train about 50 minutes north to Manjeshwar village. On an unpaved lane there's a vegetarian eating place run by a shirtless Brahmin with a flower behind his ear. It's tiny, poorly lit and very traditional. We have a small breakfast and then head for the sea. The coast is actually better than at Kappil Beach; it's far more isolated and immensely longer. We always walk north in the direction of Kanwatirtha village and choose a pleasant spot to bathe and sun our bodies. The only other person we're likely to see is Jogi Manju who sets simple nets and lines in the surf and always manages to catch a fish. We sometimes walk beyond Kanwatirtha. That gets pretty close to the Kerala-Karnataka state border. Mangalore city is not far away; about 20 mins by bus.

The only other western "tourist" this year is Alfred Windig, a long time German-Italian friend of Rene's. They met in Morocco in 1984. We first saw Alfred in Varkala, January 1985. He could hardly speak a word of English then. He manages quite well now.

We'll be back in Malaysia on Feb 17th. We'll have to make Malacca our provisional base as we don't have a place to stay in Singapore now. A perplexing dilemma. We need to start essential new research at the National Library and care for some other important things. What's the solution?

See also: The work place, On Indian soil, Rene's last walk to the beach, On Laubies's work, Assembling notes around Paul Facchetti.

Laubies show at Galerie Alain Margaron (Paris)

There is currently a showing of Laubies' works at Gallery Alain Margaron in Paris featuring forty works – oils, inks, and watercolours. It runs until March 13, 2010.

Alain Margaron has done a wonderful job in gathering, preserving and making René Laubies' work accessible to the public. He's the champion Laubies collector, hands down, and we should recognise that and learn from him. Everyone gains through cooperation. By estranging ourselves we only lose.

When viewing Laubies' oils on coated paper, mounted, or glued on stretched Belgian linen (maroufle sur toile), one should try (if allowed) to examine the backs in order to the see their manner of construction – it's very revealing. The general procedure is known as marouflage. 

When the painted paper is glued and pressed on tightly stretched canvas (i.e. canvas stretched on a stretcher or wooden frame) it acquires an altogether firmer support. Each stretched frame is built to the size of the painting it supports. Outcomes demonstrate very flush borders.

Don't be surprised when you view the current show and see very early, even pre-Cloudist paintings in stunning condition. Thank you Alain Margaron!

Laubies, Aphorism No. 1

In the life of a painter the only happy moment is when he paints. Painting finished the annoyances begin. He has to show the painting, submit it to the critics, the merchants and the amateurs, sell it, repurchase it, save it in auction rooms in extremis. Every painting returns ten times. Like migratory birds they pass from Paris to Milan, from Düsseldorf to New York or Huston, re-traversing the Atlantic they are bought for nothing and resold very expensively according to the crises, speculation, the art market.

Dans la vie d'un peintre, le seul moment heureux est quand il peint. Le tableau fini les ennuis commencent. Il faut exposer ce tableau, le soumettre aux critiques, marchands, amateurs, le vendre, le racheter, le sauver in-extremis de la salle des ventes. Chaque tableau à été rendu dix fois, comme les oiseaux migrateurs ils passent de Paris à Milan, de Düsseldorf à New York ou Huston, retraversent l'Atlantique, sont achetés pour rien et revendus très cher suivant les crises, la spéculation, le marche de l'art... 

(Laubies, 2001, from the forward) .

Laubies, Aphorism No. 4

Hostility always stimulates me.
With nothing to lose, I have the taste to displease.
It is not out of pride, but seeing what they like,
one is delighted most by being detested

. . . . . . . . .

L'hostilité m'a toujours stimule.

N'ayant rien à perdre, j'ai le gout de déplaire.
Ce n'est pas par orgueil, mais voyant ce qu'ils aiment,
on est top heureux d'être détesté. 

Laubies, Ritratti e Aforismi | Portraits et Aphorismes  

[bilingual, Italian and French], Morgana Edizioni, Firenze, 2001

Laubies, Aphorism No. 5

The French never love painting and are always dupes: Louis XIV preferred Le Brun to Poussin, and in 1900 one bought L'art pompier and not the impressionists; in 1930 Matisse is on the same footing as Kisling, Derain and others... They prefer Picasso to Braque and Bonnard. If there were a French art, it's thanks to foreign collectors. 

(Laubies,  2001.)

Laubies, Aphorism No. 10

French critics would want that the dripping of Pollock comes from Masson, whereas it is known that the Chinese of the high time had dipped their hardened hair or their beards in ink, and that they spat. All to reject habitual technique, in wanting to be a simple medium of the "vital breath." It is this simplicity that made great Chinese painting. Ma Yuan (1190) and Bada Shanren* (1630) are the pure abstract ones, because the stain held their interest, not the rock or the boat that the stain may have suggested. The Occident needed to wait for this abstraction, to recover this attitude, this freedom, this "brilliant carelessness," this chance exploit.

Les critiques français voudraient que le dripping de Pollock vienne de Masson, alors que l'on sait que les Chinois de la haute époque ont trempé leurs cheveux ou leur barbe dans l'encre, qu'ils ont recrachée. Tout cela pour rejeter l'habilité technique, en se voulant le simple medium du "souffle vital". C'est cette simplicité qui à fait la grande peinture chinoise. Ma YUAN (1190) ou Pan Tan Chan Gen* (1630) sont de purs abstraits, car c'est la tache qui les intéresse et non le rocher ou la barque qu'elle peut suggérer. Il à fallu attendre l'abstraction en Occident pour retrouver cette attitude, cette liberté, ce "laisser-aller génial", ce hasard exploite. 

(Laubies,  2001.)

N.B.: I have changed Laubies' original spelling "Pan Tan Chan Gen" to the apparently more standard "Bada Shanren".

Laubies, Aphorism No. 11

From 1950 to 1960 there was not a day in Paris without quarrels, excommunications, insults between critics, galleries and painters. Julien Alvard having written an article in Art d'Aujourd'hui (Art Today) about Pollock, me and some other disgracefuls, had to leave the review (this is how Cimaise was born). Charles Estienne and Claude Rivière in Combat, defended the Tachistes, the Nuagistes every Monday. The abstract geometrics saw threats in the "insignificance of informel", and Nina Kandinsky says to Alvard: "But this painting is affrrreux, affrrreux" to the tapping of her diamonds. The deplorable posterity and darling of 'Monet of the Nymphs' overrode [l'emporta sur la suite] the protestant continuation of Mondrian. This would be followed by something no less deplorable than Marcel Duchamp.

En 50-60 il n'y avait pas un jour à Paris sans querelles, excommunications, injures entres critiques, galeries et peintres. Julien Alvard ayant écrit un article dans Art d'Aujourd'hui sur Pollock, moi et quelques autres scandaleux, dût quitter la revue (c'est ainsi que Cimaise est née). Charles Estienne et Claude Rivière dans Combat, défendaient les tachistes, les nuagistes, tous les lundis. Les abstraits géométriques se voyaient menaces par les "insignifiants de l'informel", dont Nina Kandinsky disait à Alvard : "Mais cette peinture c'est affrrreux, affrrreux" en tapotant ses diamants. La postérité déplorable et chérie du Monet des Nymphéas l'emporta sur la suite protestante de Mondrian. Cette postérité sera suivie par cella non moins déplorable de Marcel Duchamp. 

(Laubies,  2001.)

Simone Collinet ex-Breton

In her gallery, at Duncan's place, one could buy in 1949, for tiny sums, Tanguy, Max Ernst, Dalí, Masson, etc, all the surrealism that she had helped, even financed. She made the first contract between De Chirico and her husband, André Breton (the surrealist ones always married well!). Thanks to her, I'm in among the Congress for Cultural Freedom and the magazine "Preuves". Those were my beginnings in Paris.

Dans sa galerie, chez Duncan, on pouvait acheter en 1949, pour des sommes minimes, Tanguy, Max Ernst, Dalí, Masson, etc., tout le surréalisme qu'elle avait aidé, voire financé. Elle fit le premier contrat à De Chirico avec son mari, André Breton (les surréalistes se sont toujours bien mariés !). Grace à elle je suis entre au Congrès de la Liberté de la Culture, à la revue "Preuves". Ce furent mes débuts à Paris. 

(Laubies, 2001.)

Yves Klein

On the beach at Nice. Iris [Clert], Yves Klein and me. Iris, to annoy Yves, praises my legs incessantly. After five minutes he stands: "I go, I've enough of this sea, this sky. All blue, my blue! I am copied, blue, blue..."

Sur la plage à Nice, Iris, Yves Klein et moi. Iris pour énerver Yves ne cesse de me complimenter sur mes jambes. Au bout de cinq minutes Yves se lève: "On s'en va, j'en ai assez, cette mer, ce ciel. Tout ce bleu, c'est mon bleu! On me copie, le bleu, le bleu..." 

(Laubies, 2001.)

George Salles

Great Lord, heir to the Eiffel Tower and director of the Louvre. He had taste at the time for ancient arts and modern painting that he collected. His "Asiaticism" made him like my painting: he defended me while noticing that everything always went badly for me: "Even in a desert, you would stumble on a stone! Guard well your stature as accursed painter!"

Grand seigneur, héritier de la Tour Eiffel et directeur du Louvre. Il avait du gout à la fois pour les arts anciens et la peinture moderne qu'il collectionnait. Son "asiatisme" lui fit aimer ma peinture : il me défendit tout en remarquant que tout allait toujours mal pour moi : "Même dans un désert, vous trébucheriez sur un caillou ! Gardez bien votre statut de peintre maudit !" 

(Laubies, 2001.)