CHARCHOUNE Serge

Serge Charchoune was born in 1888 in Bougourouslan, Russia, a small town west of the Ural mountains where he spent his childhood. Son of a fabrics merchant, he was an average student. Charchoune discovered painting during the strikes that overturned Russia in 1905. He wanted to study art but didn?t pass his entry exam for Fine Arts School of Kazan. He left for Moscow in 1909 and worked in different academies, met Larionov and Gontcharova, discovered Monet and the Impressionists. Serge Charchoune escaped the military service and went to Berlin and then Paris in 1912. He attended the Académie de la Palette where he was influenced by Le Fauconnier who became his teacher. He met Metzinger and became very enthusiastic about Fauvism and Cubism. Charchoune participated in the Salon des Indépendants in 1913.

During 1914 till 1920, the artist lived in Spain where his first solo exhibitions were held, in Barcelona in 1916 and 1917. This was where he made pictorial discoveries that would mark his art (the azulejos, the arabesques…) This period defined his ornamental Cubism with canvas covered with ideograms. The artist met Francis Picabia and got in touch with the Dada movement that would have a great influence on his writings. Back in Paris in 1920 he exhibited for the first time and took part in the Dada group’s activities ; he collaborated with the review 391 and published Foule immobile in 1921. Charchoune went to Berlin from 1922-1923 where he met Maïakovski, Isadora Duncan, participated in some group exhibitions (Der Sturm, Zaria, etc.) and collaborated with some reviews. Back to France, he met Ozenfant and turned towards Purism ; his rigorous compositions blended into the juxtaposition of his touches.

Then in the 1930’s, the artist would spend a decade of isolation and great discouragement. He regained his confidence when he got a studio in 1940 and sold some of his paintings.

Water and music became inspiration that led him towards abstraction ; few colours, almost monochrome, bordering on white, the colour Charchoune considered as « the absolute colour ». The artist now regularly appeared in the great Parisian Salons. From now on, numerous solo exhibitions of his work would be organized in France and abroad.

As an abstract artist, he succeeded in suggesting the imperceptible and the inexpressible. A posthumous tribute was paid to him in 1976 at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris.

His art requires the spectators participation. Often against the tide, Charchoune realized an austere, sober and well-balanced work. He died in Villeneuve-Saint-George in 1975.