No. 52

— Presentation —

On the occasion of the 16th contemporary contrepoint at the Musée de l’Orangerie, Alexandre Lenoir presents four previously unseen paintings for the exhibition “Par la force des choses”.

Four Eyes éditions is pleased to present the painter’s second book, conceived as a work of art accompanying the exhibition. The publication is extended by a unique collector’s edition: studio fragments, direct imprints of the pictorial process.

Thus, 100 books with original covers, made “par la force des choses”, were produced in the studio, cut and selected by our team with the artist, a true extension of the paintings. These works in their own right, having captured the information of the canvases like negatives, could not be made until the paintings were finished; they were therefore completed as the exhibition opened at the Musée de l’Orangerie.

— The Book —

The book is meant to be essential and is conceived as a true immersion in the works; it favours details and fragments reproduced at 1:1 scale, offering the reader the experience of being “within the painting”. This approach conveys the deeply embodied, material dimension of the artist’s work, and makes the book a living extension of the exhibition.

Images of Alexandre Lenoir in his Paris studio, shot on film and in black and white while the works were being made, complete this “path into the painting” and bear witness to the artist’s creative process.

Several texts by authors important to Alexandre Lenoir enrich the book, offering cross perspectives on this work: the first by Liang Dong (China), researcher, philosopher and specialist in Chinese culture; the second by Sophie Eloy (France), exhibition curator at the Musée de l’Orangerie; the third by Michel Brière (France), theologian, philosopher and priest of the Diocese of Paris working within the art world.

The publication is in three languages — French, English and Mandarin — reflecting the artist’s ties to Paris, New York and Shunde (mainland China).

— Important Note —

Collector’s editions are accompanied by an original edition (midnight blue velvet), so that collectors may appreciate these two complementary creations.