Deléglise
Born in 1952
Lives and works in
Philippe Deléglise’s Portfolio N°36, composed of seven burin engravings, presents a sequence of geometric forms, dark against light backgrounds or light against dark ones, connected to the edges of the plate by a network of straight lines. These lines structure the space of the sheet, extending the axes of the main figure or crossing it to reach a point of concentration. Background, form, and lines interlock and are interdependent. The balance of values and contrasts between masses and lines makes it difficult to privilege one element over another: together, they form a homogeneous whole through which the eye can circulate.
These engravings are reminiscent of an installation, De temps en temps (1977), composed of a clothes-drying rack whose lines extended into the exhibition space and attached themselves to the walls. They are also close to other series of paintings in which geometric, coloured forms are distributed and articulated from a focal point or axis. Moving from the inside outward, or conversely by folding the edges back toward a given point, this partitioning of space always arises from a pre-established rule that reduces the possibilities while opening the way to variations. These guiding structures may be clearly visible in the finished work or remain implicit.
More recent works are made in watercolour from Chladni figures. These figures result from the effect produced by the vibration of a copper plate covered with rosin powder. The wave-like patterns generated by this physical phenomenon form a repertoire that also serves as a model for drawing and painting. Whether the rule derives from scientific experimentation or from more empirical decisions, the forms and compositions are always intimately connected to the format of the support. Colour, being more subjective, underscores the role of the plane as the source of the image.
As in music, Philippe Deléglise develops motifs through themes and variations from a score. He brings out the different possible appearances of lines, forms, and colours arising from identical structures. This approach, based on procedures and principles of organisation in which the visual elements derive from the choice of a space—the volume of a room or the format of the support—questions the very notion of representation in a metaphysical dimension.
Claude-Hubert Tatot, Philippe Deléglise in Artistes à Genève, L’APAGE/Notari 2010