1962-1992 Belgian Period
BELGIUM AND NETHERLANDS |
At this time, he was facing marital problems. He is torn, he saw the future without his daughters and forced to separate. His wife and his daughters will actually move and live in Lausanne. In 1962, he returned to Belgium and settled in Zeeland, in the Netherlands. He renovated a large barn in Zuidzande covered with a roof of corrugated two sides, and fully glazed on three while large double doors give access to a terrace at the back. Everything is white and bright, inside and outside the minimalist decoration allows him to devote himself entirely to his paintings. He lived alone, in this serene universe, among the locals who respected his desire for solitude. Then he met a belgian lady who understood him and helped him a lot for his exhibitions. His wife and his son came to join him during the week ends. He felt a need solitude to preserve a work introspective, closed in on itself, by absenting himself from the world. Around 60's, the geometric developments of his work moved in an intimate space in which light reaches spirituality. The geometric shapes (rectangles, squares, diamonds) are adjusted as for a building with no elements is figurative. A luminous presence transcends its composition in a color balance. |
Its Belgian period between 1970 and 1988 is the longest and most interesting beach of hislife.It is more personal and emotional inits minimal geometry.
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Years 1963, 1964 and 1965 |
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Land Magazine 07.31.1970 | Marie-Claire Nov. 1968 |
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"Σ 64" signed, Oil on paper 35,7 x 26,8 cm Coll AB | "Σ 64" signed, Gouache on cardboard 27 x 35,5 cm Coll. OT |
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"Σ 62" monogrammed, Oil on canvas 41 x 32,8 cmColl RL | "Σ 65" monogrammed, Oil on canvas 81 x 100 cm Coll. OT |
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A turning point occurs from 1965, the choice of new themes circles as a highly symbolic. They are a cosmic sign, but at the same time tending to the couples union.
"The possible variations in the development of this theme, taken from my unconscious, are revealed to me inaction and the material of my work" The circle evokes both a cosmic sign, the over whelming size of the order of the universe, the heavenly bodies or the symbol of gear time. Pole voltage with other circles, other poles. "Symbols. Circle, symbol of cyclical time, the vertical direction of the sky, horizontal, the breadth of the earth, the cross, the universal man, the number 3, the symbol of perfection, the number 2, that of couple,who find themselves in my work and symbols invented by the artist, and read by the viewer." Herbert Read described this movement as “an enormous endeavour to free the spirit, from the corruption of the conscience, which suppressed emotion, sentimentality or dogmatics, bears false testimony to feeling and experience” |
Year 1966 |
About technics, he used many different kinds of painting, oil on canvas, enamel on cardboard, oil on plywood, oil on paper or acrylic on cardboard. |
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"Σ66" Acrylic on canvas |
"Σ 66 The Couple" Oil on canvas |
"Σ 66" Oil on plywood |
Year 1967 |
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Σ 67 N°11"Les deux dans le Temps" Enamel on cardboard 62 x 44 cm Coll. AB. |
"Σ 67" Acrylic on plywood 140 x 100 cm Coll. AB. |
"Σ 67" N°9 "Pôle dans le Temps" Enamel on cardboard 45 x 31 cm Coll. N&SB. |
"Σ 67" Oil on cardboard 54 x 35 cm Coll. CD. |
Year 1968 |
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"Σ 68" Rhythms of the near future"n°35 Ink on paper 71 x 35 cm Coll. AB. |
"Σ 68" Moment présent" Oil on cardboard 98,5 x 68 cm Coll. CD. |
"Σ 68"Cosmic love"n°97 Oil on canvas 146 x 97 cm Coll. AB. |
"Σ 68" Oil on paper 72 x 55 cm Coll. CD. |
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"Σ 67" Oil on cardboard 218 x 31 cm Coll. AB
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"Σ 68" Oil on cardboard 206 x 31 cm Coll. AB
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New period opens with a very geometric theme in which colors play an important role.
Rectangles,triangles and geometric shapes play with stripes in a total development of the color.
"There is a necessary connection between geometry, aesthetics and metaphysics. Not the purely mathematical geometry, but a symbolic and poetic geometry that affects the expression of the eternal." EB
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Land Magazine : 07.31.1970
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Studio in Zuidzande (Netherlands)
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Year 1969 |
Poliakoff said in "GoldenSection" 1951-1952 "In 1952, Poliakoff says tha tone of the qualities of painting is to be a geometric but not geometry drought. This principle involves in the arrangement of forms often developed according to the golden ratio,Pythagore an report defines the ideal proportions. the composition is often based on binary figures, that the painter is testing the format, either vertical or horizontal." |
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"Σ 69" Oil on cardboard 44 x 29 cm Coll. N&S B
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"Σ 69" Oil on canvas 162 x 97 cm Coll. N&S B.
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"Σ 69" Oil on canvas 80 x 116 cm Coll. OT
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Year 1970 Visit the Catalogue Raisonné Years 1970
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Σ 70 Oil on canvas 146 x 114 cm Coll. N&S B
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Σ 70 Oil on canvas 162 x 130 cm Coll. AB
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Σ 70 Oil on canvas 195 x 97 cm Coll. OT |
Year 1971 |
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Σ 71 Oil on cardboard 70 x 60 cm Coll. N&S B.
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Σ 71 Oil on canvas 50 x 60 cm Coll. AB. De Vyust
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"Σ 71" Oil on cardboard 39 x 35 cm Coll. N&S B.
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Σ 71 Oil on canvas 90 x 60 cm Coll. AB F
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Σ 71" Ink on paper 39,5 x 32 cm Coll.AB
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"Σ 71" Ink on paper 32 x 40 cm Coll. AB
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"Σ 71" Oil on canvas 115 x 89 cm Coll. AB Exhibited at Fisher Gallery London in 1972 and at Group2Gallery in 1997 |
"Σ 71" Oil on cardboard 49 x 45 cm Coll. CD |
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Σ 71 Oil on canvas 81 x 100 cm Coll. OT |
Σ 71 Oil on panel 60 x 30 cm Coll. AB |
Year 1972 |
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We are seeing a gradual clarification of the content with a reduced number of geometric forms, a chromatic reduction to two or three colors on a plain background. The forms are investing the plane space of the canvas that is gaining synthesis, depth and serenity. |
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Exhibition Poliakoff (10.18.2013 - 02.23.2014) "The dream forms" "The dream in itself forms 1950-1951
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Σ 72-5 Oil on canvas 90 x 110 cm Coll. Hh
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Σ 72 Oil on canvas 116 x 89 cm Coll. AB
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Σ 72 Oil on canvas 100 x 81 cm Coll. OT
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Year 1973 |
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Σ 73 Oil on cardboard Coll. PS |
Σ 73 Oil on cardboard 25,5 x 20,3 cm Coll. CD
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Σ 73 Oil on cardboard 78,5 x 63,5 cm Coll.KA |
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Σ 73 Oil on canvas 80 x 100 cm
Exhibited at Vedovi Gallery Coll. AB
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Σ73 Oil on canvas 130 x97 cm Coll. N&S B |
Σ 73-13 Oil on canvas 130 x 80 cm Coll. Hh
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Year 1974 |
Σ 74 Brown print 41,8 x 29,5 cm Coll. AB | Σ 74 Brown print 52 x 39,7cm Coll. AB | Σ 74 Brown print 35,5 x 27cm Coll AB |
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Σ 74-4 Oil on canvas 120 x 100 cm Coll. N&S B. | Σ 74 Oil on canvas 50,5 x 34,5 cm Coll. AB F. | Σ 74 Oil on canvas 126 x 105,5 cm Coll. AB F |
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Σ 74-20 Oil on canvas 112 x 145 cm Coll. OT |
Σ 74-7 Oil on canvas 100 x 120 cm Coll. N&S B. |
Σ 74-8 Oil on cardboard 80 x 100 cm Coll. Hh
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Σ 74 Oil on canvas 130 x 97 cm Coll. N&S B.
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Σ 74-11 Oil on canvas 100 x 81 cm Coll. N&S B
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Year 1975 | ||
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Σ 75 Oil on canvas 129 x 108 cm Coll. OT | Σ 75-23 (S28-U25) Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard 80 x 60 cm Coll. N&S B | Σ 75-30 Oil on cardboard 39,7 x 33 cm Coll. AB |
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Σ 75 Oil oncardboard 40 x 33 cmColl. N&S B | Σ 75-31 Oil on cardboard 61 x 41 cm Coll. N&S B | Σ 75-11 Oil on canvas 40 x 37 cm Coll. OT |
The purest geometry is highlighted to achieve simplified shapes insimple colors with his research of extreme harmony
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Year 1976
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Σ 76-12 Oil on canvas 73 x 100 cm Coll.N&SB | Σ 76 Oil on cardboard 40 x 50 cm Coll. N&SB | Σ 76-28 Oil on cardboard 50 x 70 cm Coll. N&S B | ||
Σ 76-38 Oil on cardboard 50 x 40 cm Coll. N&S B | Σ 76-39 Oil on canvas 73 x 100 cm Coll. N&S B | Σ 76 Oil on panel 29 x 19 cm Coll. CD | ||
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Σ 76 Lithography Coll. AB Σ 77-27 Oil on plywood 29 x 29,8 cm Coll.AB Σ 78-8 Oil on plywood 19,8 x 13 cm Coll. AB | ||||
Year 1978 |
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Σ 78-5 Oil on canvas 60 x 80 cm Coll.N&S B |
Σ 78-24 Oil on canvas 80 x 90 Coll. N&S B. |
Σ 79-19 Oil on cardboard 25 x 32 cm Coll. N&S B. | ||
Years 1980 |
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The exhibition in Lausanne in 1981 gave him the opportunity to express himself and explain the philosophy of his painting.
"Order, balance, harmony symbols of peace, that's what I wanted to express in a stripped plastic language which is similar perhaps to some form of Buddhism." «An American critic has said a few years ago that a theory on art was essential for the understanding of many modern paintings. Without doubt, a short presentation on my painting approach would seem appropriate." "While avoiding representation, on the other hand, I have sought a form of symbolism. For example, in some of my paintings, there are two similar shapes that intermingle, setting up a variant of the Chinese Yin and the Yang, symbols of the male and female complementarity in nature." "I also discovered that there is a tight relation between a certain geometry, aesthetics and metaphysics.
EB 20.03.85 |
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Back in Belgium, he worked in a new studio avenue Winston Churchill, 239 at Ixelles, near home. |
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The last few years saw flourish shapes that echo those of his early career, but revisited by very geometric shapes and flamboyant colors, cheerful and bright.
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Years 1990 |
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Visit the Catalogue Raisonné Years 1990
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October 16, 1992 Elie Borgrave deceased in Ixelles, Belgium.
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