Pierre Molinier
Pierre Molinier (Agen, France 1900 - Bordeaux, France 1976) was a French Surrealist painter and photographer.
Life
1900 Pierre Molinier was born on 13 April 1900 (Good Friday) in Agen (France). His father was a house painter and decorator specialized in marble and wood imitation; his mother was a dressmaker and his aunt an ironer. During his childhood, he was raised surrounded by women. He spent his school years with the Brothers of the Agen Ecoles chrétiennes, and not at all, as he pretended, with the Jesuits.
1913 He starts working with his father as an apprentice painter and takes evening courses at the Agen Municipal School of Drawing.
1918 Having been in love with his sister for a long time, he takes a photograph of her on her deathbed. Around that date, he settles down in Bordeaux, Place de la Bourse, in the Saint-Pierre Quarter.
1919 He sets up his own business, as a house painter.
1920 He does his military service from 1920 to 1922, then stays in Paris where he visits museums frequently
1923 He moves to 5 rue du Parlement-Saint-Pierre, still in the Bordeaux Old Quarter.
1927 First exhibition of his paintings. Until 1951, every year he shows several paintings figurative or fauve landscapes and portraits) in the Bordeaux Salons.
1928 He exhibits a painting in Paris, at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, and founds the Société des Artistes Indépendants Bordelais together with several other painters.
1931 He moves in the apartment where he will stay for good, 7 rue des Faussets, in the Bordeaux Old Quarter
1940 He is mobilized as a male nurse, taken prisoner, then demobilized. He settles down in the Bordeaux countryside with his family. Giving up figuratism, he makes his first abstract painting Satin blanc.
1944 His father commits suicide, by taking medicine.
1946 Following the presumed visit of the Dalai Lama envoys, who asked him to reproduce mandalas, his inspiration changes into esoterism (this visit was dated, vaguely, around 1936 by Molinier ; considering the evolution of his paintings, 1946 would be much more likely.
1948 First painting characteristic of his erotic period (Les amants à la fleur).
1949 His wife leaves the marital home.
1950 He builds his "Premature tomb" topped by a black cross engraved with "Here lies/Pierre MOLINIER/born on 13 April 1900 died around 1950/he was a man without morals/he was proud of it and gloried in it/No need to pray for him." He takes photographs of himself, posing in his studio as crucified and having committed suicide, as well as on his deathbed, in his apartement.
1951 He breaks off with the Artistes Indépendants Bordelais, following a scandal at the Fall Salon caused by his veiled painting Le grand combat, representing an entanglement of bodies engaged in a love joust.
1952 He gets in touch with André Malraux in order to exhibit his paintings in Paris. His daughter Françoise, with whom he has been in love for a long time, leaves the family apartment.
1955 He writes to André Breton and sends him a portfolio containing photographs of his works. André Breton falls in love with "those magical works" and sends him a series of enthusiastic letters ("You are today a master in vertigo").
1956 After exhibiting 18 paintings (and a few drawings) at the Paris gallery run by Breton A l'Etoile scellée (27 January-17 February), he contributes to several issues of the magazine Le surréalisme, même. He meets the writer and poet Joyce Mansour, "the Divine". He starts taking erotic photographs.
1957 Near Bordeaux, he buys a shady bar (the Texas-Bar) for his so-called "natural daughter", Monique, who was a notorious prostitute.
1960 He slaps his wife in the face violently, fires above the head of his cousin and spends a month in prison. He gives up his house painting business in order to devote his time to his art.
1961 He is condemned (fine and damages) for the 1960 events. His wife gets a divorce.
1962 Shooting of the Raymond Borde film Molinier (in Bordeaux, private screenings in 1964 and public screening of the censured version in 1966).
1964 He writes to Emmanuelle Arsan (author of the erotic novel Emmanuelle), and then meets her in Paris in December. Both engage in a passionate correspondence and Molinier represents her in several of his works.
1965 Numerous meetings with the Surrealist painters Clovis Trouille and Gérard Lattier. Shooting of a rudimentary film, Mes jambes.
1966 His plans for publishing an album of photomontages on Le chaman et ses créatures begin to take shape. Roland Villeneuve is approached for writing the preface. Many publishers will give up printing the album, which will be published eventually in 1995.
1967 Second meeting with Emmanuelle Arsan, in Bordeaux. As a result of his correspondence with Peter Gorsen, he meets Hanel Koeck, a German fetishist of legs and shoes, who is also a sado-masochist. Beginning of a lengthy and passionate correspondence with her. She will pay him several visits and will become the model of many paintings and photomontages. Shooting of the Jean-Pierre Bouyxou's film Satan bouche un coin.
1969 He orders the exhumation of his father's corpse and keeps his bones inside a wooden box in the shape of a small coffin, rue des Faussets. An album (Molinier) on his paintings is published by Jean-Jacques Pauvert.
1970 Removal of his gall-bladder, which hurts him at regular intervals.
1972 He bequeaths his body to the Faculty of Medicine, in order for it to be dissected. Peter Gorsen publishes in Munich an album of photographs and photomontages (Pierre Molinier, lui-même), with an essay in German.
1975 In March, he takes a series of photographs of the young Swiss painter, Luciano Castelli, in transvestite, and another series with Thierry Agullo, a Bordeaux iconoclastic artist, on the theme of Indecency. At the end of the month, Peter Gorsen pays him a visit (for the first and unique time), accompanied by Hanel Koeck. In September, his son Jacques dies in an accident (he made a mistake while manipulating explosives). He resumes his contacts with his daughter Françoise.
1976 At the end of February, he takes a series of photographs of Thierry Agullo in transvestite on the theme of Androgyny, He commits suicide by shooting himself in the mouth, on 3rd March 1976, at about 7.30 p.m. His body is transferred to the Bordeaux Morgue, then to the Faculty of Medecine. After being dissected, his remains have been buried in a Bordeaux cemetery.
Bibliography (selection)
ABEILLE, Jacques. Pierre Molinier, présence de l'exil, Bordeaux : Opales / Pleine page éditeurs, 2005, 123 p., 2 ill.
BRETON, André. « Pierre Molinier », in : Le surréalisme et la peinture, Paris : Gallimard, 1966, 427 p.
GORSEN, Peter. Pierre Molinier, lui-même. Essay über den surrealistischen Hermaphroditen, Munich : Rogner und Bernhard, 1972, 39 p., 41 ill.
MACCHERONI, Henri. Un après-midi chez Pierre Molinier, Bordeaux : Opales / Pleine Page éditeurs, 2005, 48 p., 18 ill.
MOLINIER, Pierre. Molinier, Paris : Jean-Jacques Pauvert Editeur, 1969, 92 p., 89 ill.
MOLINIER, Pierre. Les orphéons magiques, Collection L'Autre Pente, Bordeaux : Thierry Agullo Editeur, 1979, 60 p., 6 ill.
MOLINIER, Pierre. Cent photographies érotiques, Collection Images obliques, Paris : Editions Borderie, 1979, 112 p., 107 ill.
MOLINIER, Pierre. Pierre Molinier, Genève : Bernard Letu Editeur, 1979, 80 p., 35 ill.
MOLINIER, Pierre. Le chaman et ses créatures, Bordeaux : William Blake & Co., 1995, 96 p. [Preface by Pierre Molinier, presentation text by Roland Villeneuve, photomontages, drawings and reproductions of paintings]
MOLINIER, Pierre. Der Schamane und seine Geschöpfe, Munich : Schirmer/Mosel, 1995, 96 p.
MOLINIER, Pierre. Entretien avec Pierre Chaveau 1972 (Texte + Enregistrement sur CD audio), Bordeaux : Editions Opales/Pleine Page, 2003, 64 p.
MOLINIER, Pierre. Je suis né homme-putain. Ecrits et dessins inédits réunis et présentés par Jean-Luc Mercié, Paris : Biro Editeur et Edition Kamel Mennour, 2005, 170 p.
PETIT, Pierre. Molinier, une vie d'enfer, Paris : Editions Ramsay/Jean-Jacques Pauvert, 1992, 267 p., 86 ill. [Biography with catalogs of works, exhibitions, filmography and bibliography]
PETIT, Pierre. Molinier, une vie d'enfer, Kyoto : Jimbun Shoin, 2000, 300 p., 86 ill. [Translation in Japanese of the French edition ; revised and corrected catalogs of works, exhibitions, filmography and bibliography]
PETIT, Pierre. Pierre Molinier et la tentation de l'Orient, Bordeaux : Opales / Pleine Page éditeurs, 2005, 64 p., 24 ill.
Pierre Molinier. Die Fetische der Travestie. Fotografische Arbeiten 1965-1975, Herausgegeben von Gerhard Fisher und Peter Gorsen, Vienna : Daedalus, 1989, 122 p., 40 ill. [Exhibition catalog, Galerie Faber, Wien]
Pierre Molinier, Winnipeg : Plug-in Editions & Santa Monica : Smart Art Press, 1993, 120 p., 60 ill. [Book for a touring exhibition, Canada]
Pierre Molinier, Genève : Bärtschi-Salomon Editions, 1999, 80 p., 99 ill. [Exhibition catalog, Galerie Guy Bärtschi, Genève]
Pierre Molinier, Valencia : IVAM Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, 1999, 267 p., 118 ill.[Exhibition catalog, IVAM Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, Valencià]
Pierre Molinier photographe. Une rétrospective, Paris : Edition Mennour, 2000, 173 p., 160 ill. [Exhibition catalog, Galerie Kamel Mennour, Paris]
Pierre Molinier. Jeux de miroirs, Bordeaux : Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux/Le Festin, 2005, 176 p., 46 ill. [Exhibition catalog, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux]
Works
As of today, 393 paintings, 169 drawings, 28 prints, 590 photographs, 184 photomontages, 124 colour slides, 13 masks, 22 sculptures made by Molinier have been recorded.
Paintings (selection)
1918
Portrait de Madame Molinier, mère. Oil
1925
Etude de ciel d'orage. Oil : 18,5 x 24
1926
Etang à Ermenonville. Oil : 25 x 33
1927
La vallée de Bassens. Oil : 54,5 x 73
1928
Château de Madaillan. Oil : 91 x 123
La dame blonde. Oil : 27 x 35
L'homme en bleu. Oil : 73 x 60
Monastère de Sercolou en Gascogne. Oil
1929
La rue Lepic. Oil : 165 x 200
1930
L'homme au gibus. Oil : 72 x 59
La prière. Oil : 74 x 86
Les quais. Oil
La rue. Oil : 33 x 39
1931
Tapoustka. Oil : 61 x 51
1932
La vallée de Casalet. Oil : 74 x 100,5
1933
L'enfant au berceau. Oil : 38 x 48
1934
L'enfant à la chaise. Oil : 69 x 53
1935
Portrait d'enfant. Oil : 41 x 47
1936
L'homme au béret. Oil : 73 x 55
1938
L'homme au shako. Oil : 63 x 52
1940
Satin blanc. Oil : 81 x 65
1946
Amours. Oil : 41,5 x 46,5
Non conformisme. Oil
1947
Femme à la mantille. Oil : 88 x 74
1948
Les amants à la fleur. Oil : 131 x 98
L'homme au béret. Autoportrait. Oil : 73 x 60.
1949
Les amants dans la campagne. Oil : 94 x 128
Le combat des Cro-Magnon. Oil : 94 x 103
La rue. Oil : 66 x 82
1950
Les amoureuses confondues. Oil : 47 x 56
Le duel. Oil : 72 x 100
Gracieuse. Oil : 73 x 58
Holocauste. Oil : 41 x 33
Nu aux fleurs. Oil : 97 x 130
Portrait de Françoise. Oil : 90 x 67
1951
Le grand combat. Oil : 136 x 203
Je gueule gaiement ce que j'ai à dire. Oil : 80 x 100
1952
Cosmac III. Oil : 64 x 51
La dispute des trois Grâces. Oil : 61 x 51
Le messager. Oil : 51 x 73
Le peloton d'exécution. Oil
Le retour des vendanges. Oil : 81 x 100
Succube. Oil : 94 x 85
1953
Amour. Ah ! Les vaches. Oil : 41 x 33
Le château magique. Oil : 40 x 32,3
1954
Comtesse Midralgar. Oil : 86 x 70
Les dames voilées. Oil : 81 x 100
Sortilège. Oil : 35 x 25
1955
La fleur du paradis. Oil : 89 x 116
Ennazus. Oil : 60 x 51
Noitmosa. Oil : 27 x 22.
Le puits délectable. Oil : 35 x 24
Les seins étoilés No. 1. Oil : 41 x 33
Les seins étoilés No. 2. Oil : 27 x 22
1957
Le Christ puni. Oil : 73 x 59,5
1958
La boîte à fleurs. Oil : 46 x 61
1959
Le temps de la mort No.1. Oil : 81 x 100
1960
Les curieuses. Oil : 73 x 60
Madame d'O. Oil : 35 x 27
Le pas de quatre. Oil : 50 x 61
Le réveil de l'ange. Oil : 100 x 81
Susinella. Oil : 61 x 46
Le temps des assassins. Oil : 51 x 61
1961
Les dames au pistolet. Oil : 81 x 100
1962
Les amoureuses angoissées. Oil : 100 x 81
L'angoisse révoltée. OIl : 64 x 52,5
Cavalier de la Garde du Roy - 2. Oil : 24 x 33
Ce qui est solennel. Oil : 100 x 81
Corbillard No.3. Oil : 38 x 46
Corbillard No.6. Oil : 51 x 74
Culminate. Oil : 81 x 100
La flèche amoureuse. Oil : 55 x 75
Holocauste oui, holocauste non. Oil : 54 x 65
Les jumelles amoureuses dans l'oeuf oblong. Oil : 60 x 73
Les jumelles sont toujours amoureuses. Oil : 81 x 65
Petit bec - L'oeuf d'amour. Oil : 73 x 60
Sacrilège. Oil : 55 x 46
Le temps de la mort No.2. Oil : 92 x 73
1964
Le miroir. Oil : 54 x 73
1965
Les femmes actuelles sont.... Oil : 65 x 54
Oh!... Marie, mère de Dieu. Huile: 100 x 80
Les yeux du temps perdu. Oil : 50 x 61
1966
Les amoureuses. Oil : 54 x 65
Amours. Huile
Le grand combat No.2. Oil : 64 x 80
1968
Skin-D'Amourdo. Oil : 81 x 100
1969
Exémaly. Oil : 73 x 54
Pour Hanel. Oil : 52,5 x 63
1971
Le Baphomet. Oil : 60 x 55
Bonheur fou. Oil : 73 x 60
La communion d'amour. Oil : 54 x 45.
1973
L'empalée. Oil : 63 x 52,5
Jeune fille voilée. Oil : 40 x 32
1974
Les amoureuses No.2. Oil : 65 x 81
1976
Angélica. Oil : 80 x 60 [1947 ; Important modifications in 1975-1976]