Louis Cane

Born on 13 december 1943 in beaulieu-sur-mer (alpes-maritimes) and died in paris on 4 november 2024, louis cane studied at the school of decorative arts in nice before continuing at the école nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in paris, where he obtained a diploma in interior architecture, specialising in fresco painting, around 1964. From 1967–1968 onwards, he produced stamped canvases bearing the inscription ‘louis cane artiste peintre’ as well as collages, exploring notions of artistic identity and abstraction.

In 1969, he co-founded the supports/surfaces group, rethinking painting as both material and space (cut-out canvases, floor/wall). From 1971 onwards, he was involved in founding the journal peinture, cahiers théoriques. and shaping its editorial section. His ‘sol-mur’ works (1971–1974) are emblematic of his exploration of chromatic and spatial abstraction. In the 1970s, his travels in italy and his study of the frescoes of raphael, cimabue and giotto marked a gradual return to figuration, reflecting a renewed engagement with art history.

In the 1980s, he explored expressive figurative themes: nudes, childbirth, annunciations, le déjeuner sur l’‘herbe, and las meninas… he also turned his hand to sculpture and furniture design, disciplines linked to his early training, producing baroque and conceptual works. Internationally renowned with exhibitions in new york, montreal, the pompidou centre, etc., he has remained a discreet figure despite the significance of his work.