Gildas Le Reste — & Guests — Catherine Putman Gallery — Exhibition — Slash Paris

Past: January 27 → March 9, 2024

Galerie Catherine Putman has pleasure in making a double invitation to Gildas Le Reste as both artist and exhibition curator. The exhibition Gildas Le Reste & Guests is to show his latest works, surrounded by a host of those by Jean-Michel Alberola, Jean-Charles Blais, Stéphane Calais, Philippe Cognée, Anita Molinero, Jean-Pierre Pincemin, Sam Szafran and Jacques Villeglé. The show is to be in the form of a dialogue between Gildas Le Reste and his guests.

« A multiple or plural invitation ! What a fine aim!
Indeed, I have spent more time in the margins of the works of my colleagues than at the centre of mine, of my intentions. Frequently approached by many persons in the world of art and creation—as Catherine Putman was able to achieve with tact and kindness. Thus a meeting between friends, of guests is like a daily meal, like a family meeting. Where each comes with his originality and attitudes, his experiences and tendencies. I know that choosing is renouncing and those absent will tell me. They must know that they are always present for me. A work is fed as new principles arrive, supplied by others’ said Jean-Pierre Pincemin in 1981 and this selective, constructive task is mine today. Let’s make sure that the meal is shared by everyone—gastronomes, fussy eaters and connoisseurs—is for all and proposes as many views of the world as it can receive. Expect everything with respect and delicacy. Nothing suspect—let’s go for everything! Even the rest. » Gildas Le Reste, 2023

From 2022 to 2023, Gildas Le Reste made two series : “Le Paysage français, notes de voyage” and “Les Tulipes”. These medium-sized works were prepared using a sum of layers of ink modified by erasure. The subjet goes into the Arches paper used until it nearly tears. Do and undo as far as the moment the image appears in a strange atmosphere where looking is lost in the construction and reconstruction of the landscapes. « … in this respect, Gildas Le Reste, the painter, would have taken his own name very seriously to paint what is left of the world. » Bernard Lamarche-Vadel, 1988

Gildas Le Reste was born in Quimper in 1960.
Graduated from the École des Beaux-arts in Tours. He lives and works in Paris.

For nearly 40 years he managed the École d’arts plastiques in Châtellerault where he was the first director. He also worked on making it an art library with a collection of nearly 2,000 works, in particular thanks to the publication of numerous engravings. He installed Picasso’s test press from Piero Crommelynck’s studio, a gift from his widow, Landa.

The venue also became a Contemporary Art Centre and for exhibitions, residencies and in situ creation, Gildas Le Reste invited the big names in contemporary art including but not limited to Jean-Michel Alberola, Jean-Charles Blais, Hervé Di Rosa, Christian Jaccard, Ivan Messac, Françoise Petrovitch, Jean-Pierre Pincemin, Antonio Segui, David Tremlett, Jean-Luc Vilmouth and Jacques Villéglé.

Gildas Le Reste is a painter, draughtsman—a ballpoint pen is his favourite medium—and engraver. He has work with Les éditions Pasnic for many years. He founded GLR Éditions, a small publisher where he regularly publishes books of interviews with artists.

His exhibitions have included :

2022 — Dunkerque galerie (catalogue avec des textes de Nicolas Declercque et Christian Garcelon)
2018 — Galerie Susse, Palais Royal (avec Jacques Villeglé, livret texte de Jacques Guimet)
2016 — Galerie Herzog, Paris (livret avec un texte d’Alberto Manguel)
2015 — Galerie Louise Michel, Poitiers (catalogue texte de François Bon)
2012 — Centre d’art contemporain de Thouars (catalogue texte de Marion Daniel)
2000 — Château de Tours (texte de Pierre Watt)
1993 — Galerie Alain Venstein, Paris (livret avec texte d’Alain Bonfand)
1993 — Villa Médicis, Rome (texte d’Olivier Kaeppelin)
1990 — Centre d’art contemporain d’Orléans (texte d’Alain Bonfand)
1989 — FRAC Poitou Charentes, Angoulême (catalogue texte Bernard Lamarche Vadel)