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THIERRY BISCH ’S WILD ANIMALS
In the 80’s in New York, emerging a new generation of Art Dealers, défiants, proud and undisputed runners of the art market of the time who to the question: what to buy today ? answered you; you need to focus on the three I’s, Inventors, Imitators and Idiots; collect the inventors, they are the ones who will stay, they are the ones who will be worth the money.
I met Thierry Bisch 25 years ago in Paris. It was the time when he began to produce his animal portraits, which portraits were looked upon with disdain by the supporters of the Parisian Contemporary Art. By that time I was dealing with the emergence of Chinese Contemporary Art the same experts did not want to recognize.
We then began our long collaboration, Thierry continued to paint his animals.
Writing his founding text on the birth of Art and the cave of Lascaux, George Bataille created this stunning formula; « the man adorned with the prestige of the beast”. Today, where a bunch of “idiots” paints us cigar-smoking Lions, or sculpted gorillas wielding oil barrels, futility, cheap kitsch far too expensive, these idiots are not only ridiculous but they allow us to insult the wild animals thus “adorned” with our own vices, the work of Thierry Bisch sounds like a call to order. Abandoning constraints, preconceptions and hearsay, Thierry Bisch operates a saving return to the essential; the beasts, Lion, Bulls, Bears, present themselves to us in total rediscovered freedom.
Be careful though, take a good look at Thierry’s animals, they can jump down your throat at any time.
As a conclusion, we must speak again of the Art dealers, the Art dealers, the very same one who look upon the Lalanne sheep that are snapped up today at exorbitant prices, with tears in the eyes and lubricious »Buuuut” they answer when they are presented that they are « simple sheep ».
Didier Viltart – march 2022