PROGRESSIVE NEO CUBISM. Cont'd.
THE ART OF MAXIMILLIEN DE LA CROIX "MISTRAL"
Many
of De La Croix’s Black and White artwork were presumed lost. In many cases, I
did not know they have ever existed because no records on a complete inventory
of Maitre de La Croix’s art was made. Besides, this most unique series and
compositions were not considered by the artist as a paramount part of his
genre, therefore, no importance was given to its value by the artist himself.
We were fortunate to locate and retrieve 35% of the total Black and White
artwork and the remaining 65% is considered now as lost forever. The original
series consisted of approximately 300 original drawings, paintings and
compositions. In the seventies and a little bit
earlier, probably around the years 1962 to 1965, Black and White artwork was
in a great demand, especially in Paris, Rome and New York. Maitre de La Croix
began his “Noir et Blanc” series around 1978. Of course, he came late to the
scene but instantly his work attracted the attention and interest of
collectors, connoisseurs and art lovers worldwide. His work was quite
different from the work of leading Black and White “composers” and artists in
the United States because his Black and White compositions were oil paintings
on linen conceived as three dimensional in composition and structure and
appeared as a photographic platform rather than a traditional oil, black
pencil, charcoal or similar medium widely used by eminent black and white
artists. When you look at Maitre de La Croix’s Black and White paintings, you
begin to wonder if those paintings are made in oil or are photos or even
negative of photos sets. This is not the case when you look at the superb
black and white paintings of other great artists such as: Gotthard Graubner,
The article continues on the following pages.