Emmanuel Flipo


Emmanuel Flipo is a French artist, who currently lives and works in Montreuil and Pézenas.
1977 E. Flipo studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse.
1978-1982 he continued his studies at the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Nice.
Over the period 1983-1993 he ran his own drawing school in Pézenas.
1993 E. Flipo travelled for the first time to New York City, where he met André Emmerich and Ouattara.
Until 2003 Flipo returned regularly to New York City for work.
1997 he founded the movement "la colectiva".
2001 he had a significant influence on the founding of the center of contemporary art "Stop Art" C.A., USA.
Finally in 2003 Emmanuel Flipo founded "L'Usine 64" in Montreuil - a transformed abandoned factory - and created his studio there. Since this time he has spent the winter at Usine 64 and the summer at his studio in Pézenas.

Work

Etude topographique

The series "Etude topographique" is one of the most extended by Emmanuel Flipo. It is composed by watercolor painting and collage works created from found materials.
Influenced by the Asian calligraphy as well as by the Russian constructivism Flipo developed his topographic studies.
The work's structure could be transformed to the nature surrounding us. So the artist creates a particular combination of shapes, subtle lines and free spaces. He names his artistic vocabulary "Figuration particulière and moléculaire".
Based on the idea that the artist should stay out of focus, Emmanuel Flipo operates rather than "medium" for the cycle "Etude topographique".
Most of the forms and colors - created by found colors, leaves, feathers, rests of wallpapers - remind the spectator of an accident or coincidence. The used material mix results in surface structures full of suspense.

Collage

Most of the big scale collage works by Emmanuel Flipo are implicated in the "Etude topographique".
For this cycle Flipo combines the technique of collage, painting, and drawing.
For these pieces the artist refers once more to the French artist group - amongst others the artists of Support/Surfaces deal with the democratization of the used materials - whether found or bought - the creative process and the final piece.
For his collage works Flipo uses only found material: whether linoleum, card or wooden boards, colors, coffee, leaves... picked up in the street, in the garden or at the collecting point.
Due to the particular material mix the artist creates a multilayered surface, referring to the history and erosion of each material as well as of this one of the final piece. This mutation - due to time - of the art work is an important part of the Flipo's work.

Performances

Emmanuel Flipo realized his first performance called "El Nino" in 1996 in New York City at the 53rd street. It deals with geopolitics and global warming - at this time a subject discussed very often in the media.
By performing Flipo becomes a part of the artistic work, and the creative process is centered.
Only the documentation stays for an audience who didn't participate in the performances itself, like in the works of Joseph Beuys - analyzed by Flipo in detail, especially his notion of the "Gesamtkunstwerk" and the rapport of life and art.
On the occasion of the performances films are realized. These films as well as the relicts are declared as artworks. Furthermore, photos by artists Igor Vishnyakov or Jonathan Abbou, invited by Flipo to his performances, are part of the final work.
By the intentional involving as well as the exclusion of the spectator, the application of music, fire, water, earth... Flipo continues his occupation with the circle of life and related subjects and creates spaces far in excess of the seen elements.:
On the occasion of the COP15 in Copenhagen, Emmanuel Flipo drew one of his modelised representations of the world using pigments thrown to the wind.
This performance entitled "La Niña" in front of the audience gathered in the Sankt Hans Torv square in Copenhagen, aims at making the public aware of the future upheavals, and the grave environmental problems that are threatening our planet if we do not change our lifestyle and consumer habits.
This art work with its urban proportions takes a geographical dimension where aerial and terrestrial photographs give the public an idea of the different scales used.

Exhibitions (Selection)

Solo shows

2010 : Squat Rivoli, Paris / France
2007 : Usine 64, Montreuil
2002 : Centre d’Art « Stop Art », San José, California
1999 : Galerie Rodriguez Degranier, New York
1992 : CRDC, Rosny-sur-Seine
1988 : Galerie Hélène Trintignan, Montpellier

Group exhibitions

2017 : Art Compulsion, Montpellier
2009 : "Le Carré dans l‘Art", Galerie Blumann, Paris / France
2009: Studio of Jonathan Abbou, Montreuil
1987 - 1990 : Artist of the Gallery Blackman Havey, London
1988 : Galerie Clavé, Guadalajara, Mexico
1986 : Galerie Hélène Trintignan, Montpellier

Catalogs