For an entire decade, Serge Lemoyne worked with only three colours, both as a self-imposed challenge and by artistic conviction. But as Marcel Saint- Pierre writes, Lemoyne would “would [henceforth] open himself to every possible colour,” as evident in this Untitled work from 1982. His series Théâtre, Rideau, and Super-position, as well as Intersection, Triangle, and Triangulation, all produced that same year, gave rise to rich variations of Tachism and Geometric Abstraction, illusionistic, and perspectival space. Light grey, vibrant red, indigo, and forest green drips flow over flat coloured planes, stripes, and twin targets that straddle the diagonally bisected painting like portholes. The trickling paint extends right down to the painting’s bottom edge, suggesting uninterrupted movement, proof of its materiality, and confirmation of its dramatic presence.
During this period, Lemoyne began preparing for a new series based on the theme of his studio, titled La maison (1985), and in many ways, Untitled is its precursor. The painting’s various angles resemble corners, a door, a window, or the railing motifs that would appear later on; these truncated compositions drawn from photographs were cleverly altered on the computer for subsequent works. His sculptural paintings soon followed; like Untitled, they feature painted canvas sides that reinforce the work’s three-dimensionality. This is most evident in the series Hommage aux artistes vivants (1987). Lemoyne constantly strived to reinvent his pictorial vocabulary through new formal strategies that made his work more accessible, popular, and singular.
Untitled is a rare piece in Lemoyne’s repertoire and presents a unique opportunity for the seasoned collector.
