F.Portelette

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FRANÇOIS PORTELETTE, born on September 21, 1936 in Pontoise in France. 

1953 Debut in the studio of his father, the photographer Pierda in Caen (Calvados, France) where he learns photography (Shot as well as laboratory work). He will remain there until 1957, year of his departure to Paris.

 1958 Accepted at the National School of the Fine Arts of Paris. Discover at this period the work of Wols, which will mark him deeply.

 1959 Join the etching department of the School where he will work during six years. 

Visit regularly the Guimet museum where he develops a special interest for Japanese etching and the Indian miniatures.

 First group exhibitions with the etchers of the School of Fine Art and others, in France as well as abroad. Participates at the Biennial of Paris. He is part of an informal group of etchers of which are Kwasnienska, Ballif, Toral, Nicoïdsky, Moreh (...). Develop friendship with Piza, Dorny, Lünven (...) and pay several visits to the painter etcher Standley Hayter, founder of Studio 17 of Paris and New York.

Work simultaneously at the studio of sculptor H.G. Adam, where he carries out his first research on the application of color in sculpture. 

Meet the Peruvian sculptor Guzzman, who initiates him to the work of metal.

Pays visit to the sculptor Gilioli and to the painter Sonia Delaunay. 

Many trips to Italy and Greece in the Sixties. 

1962 Meet Alberto Giacometti, at the time of an exhibition of the sculptor Ipousteguy at the gallery Claude Bernard in Paris. This event will be decisive in his will to fully devote himself to sculpture. 

1963 Meet Man Ray, accompanied by the photographer Pierda.

1967/1968 Invents a process of impression of copper plate etching on metal sheets.

1970 First individual exhibition (Etching and sculptures) at the Gallery Marthe Nochy, Rue de Seine in Paris (part of which was a sculpture colored by luminous reflexion ).

1965/1970 Friendships with the poets Jean Guichard-Meili and Anne Voileau as well as with the composers Claude Ballif and François-Bernard Mâche. Attends many concerts of contemporary music and meets Pierre Boulez, Jean-Etienne Marie, Pierre Schaeffer, Xénakis… 

1970 Travel in south Tunisia and to Europe: The United Kingdom, Belgium, Holland, Germany.

1972 Monumental bas-relief for the bank of the Western Union (BUO).

Co-author of the " Que-sais-je? " on etching (PUF).

1973 Travel to Brazil

1974 Monumental bas-relief for the hall of a building at Bagnolet.

1975 Devotes more time to photography.

1977 Multimedia project on the myth of Don Juan: " The dispersed woman ". 

Show on Hector Berlioz on the France Music radio station. 

1982 Incorporate the Editions Mille (with other photography enthusiasts). This company was publishing art postcards and posters and its goal was to render contemporary photography more accessible to the general public. 

1984 First personal photography exhibition at the Gallery Lambert-Rouland in Paris. 

1986 " The undefined man ": Six monumental bas-reliefs, accompanied by drawings on the topic of the male identity. 

1987 Meet the American photographer Ralph Gibson and become his editor. 

1988 Work on the topic of the " Archer " 

1992/99 Turns back to painting more specifically to watercolor. 

1996 Series of canvas on the evocation of the Fontainebleau forest. 

1997 Begin his series of drawings, collages, and paintings entitled “Peinture Roman" (Novel Painting). 

1999 Meet the poetess Sophie Javel. Her poetic writing convinces him to break away from traditional painting. He invents the concept of Sculpted-painting, coming back to his early passion: sculpting. 

Other activities

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Acquisitions

Bibliography