Gaston Chaissac, Ink on Paper, France, circa 1956

Gaston Chaissac (1910-1964) was the son of a shoemaker, who discovered painting with Otto Freundlich, in 1937. Encouraged on this path, he quickly invented a pictorial alphabet which evolved throughout his life. He drew inspiration from the artistic research of his contemporaries while constantly renewing his gesture, from the China ink intricate drawings to salvaged materials totems. His flat tints ringed with black and his semi-abstract, semi-figurative compositions make his work easily recognizable and stimulating.

Concurrently to the painting, he developed an epistolary work: thousands of letters sent for more than twenty years, which allowed me to form links with a great number of his contemporaries: artists, writers, journalists, art critics. Although self-taught, he was far from the artist "unscathed from culture" as defined by the Art Brut concept. Jean Dubuffet himself will admit that Gaston Chaissac was too informed of the artistic and literary field to be classified as a "brut" artist.

Today, his work remains a stimulating field for modern artists and teachers, who still draws a constant inspiration from his vivid creative force and his explorer process.