Jean Solombre
Jean Solombre was born in Paris France in 1948. Solombre is an internationally respected painter, engraver, and writer. Tapestries created from images of Solombre paintings are woven at the atelier Aubsson, in France. The first Solombre fiber art created at Aubsson, was produced in 1979. Solombre, among the finest artists in France, was first acclaimed as printmaker, best known for his handsome richly textured and technically exquisite aquatint engravings which he presented with descriptive original poetry. Solombre's work has been shown in premiere art exhibitions Since 1970 including: The Great and Young of Today, at the Museum of Grand Palais, Paris; The Print Biennial at the Museum Galleria, Paris; and The International Art Fair in Paris, Basel, Dusseldorf, Washington, and New York. Solombre's printmaking intaglio technique masterfully combines the techniques of acquatint and engraving. These combination works, watercolor paintings, and oil paintings on canvas have been shown in prestigious solo exhibitions at: Jean-Marie Cupillard's la Bijougalerie in Grenoble, La Torte Gallery, Paris; Lahumiere, Paris; L'Empreinte Gallery, Strasbourg; Gallery Oliveier, Lille; Hohenloher Foundation, Langenburg West Germany; Gallery L'Angle Aigu, Bruxelles, Belgium; Gallery 410, New York USA; Frances Aronson Gallery, Atlanta Georgia USA; and the International Art Exhibition in New York, USA. Solombre's work is romantic and mysterious in imagery, and rich in technical skill. Portfolios, such as the Le Coeur Memorial, presented below, display artwork filled with symbolism. Egidio Alvaro, curator of the "Rigorous Splendor Five European Painters" at the Paris Art Extension Gallerie, gave insight to Solombre's work in descriptive comments in the Solombre 1975 catalogue. The comments explain: "Solombre works rather on ideas, situations, and tangible extractions. The artist operates on the border of the visible and what has been experienced." The National Library of Paris more recently described the Solombre work held in its permanent collections. Citing the Alvaro catalogue, the library's eloquent material further described the artist saying: "Solombre uses a mixed technique [of] etching and aquatint, an exacting labour cultivating the nuance, which leads to a simplification in which one can hear the resonance of silence and the hollow inscription, in filigree, of the intermediate moments that so often astonish us and almost always dwell within us." Solombre's visual images invite poetic interpretation. The images, represent introspective reflections through which Solombre intends to evoke "dream states", the heart of works by classical surrealist style artists. However, Solombre's art, differs from traditional surrealist. Solombre makes a conscious effort to give the viewer comfort, which he suggests through soft and luminescent qualities in his images. This presentation is inapposite to frightening fantastic images often found in surrealist work.
