Charles Pascarel (né en 1936) - Reflet

Charles Pascarel (1936)

Reflection

Oil on canvas signed, verso titled and dated 5/76

130 x 97

Some dents (see photos) but overall good condition

Charles Pascarel lives and works in Paris. He was born in 1936 in Pont-l'Abbé (Finistère). His childhood was spent between foster families and orphanages, during and after World War II, due to mistreatment by his parents. An apprentice typesetter at the Orphelins d'Auteuil, he begins to earn a living in printing shops at 18. He frequents the drifters of the Latin Quarter and, after discovering Henry Miller's books, aspires to become a writer. He marries Rose-Marie Hervein; they have a daughter named Sylvie and later divorce. He meets Monique Descamps in 1963, with whom he lives a passionate relationship. His first novel, Massacre du printemps, is published in 1966 by Éditions du Seuil, on the decision of Jean Cayrol, Claude Durand and Luc de Goustine. He achieves great critical success and it is translated into German under the title Frühlingsmassaker in 1967 (and reissued in paperback in 2017). While living in Corrèze, he asks Miss Descamps, who has given birth to a boy named Nicolas, to join him to get married. On November 2, they are victims of a serious road accident near Brive-la-Gaillarde. They remain apart for several months, before reuniting and marrying at Brive town hall in 1967. They have lived together in Paris since then.

After a second novel, La Grande Jouasse, he begins to paint, encouraged by Henri Cueco and by critic and founder of the review Opus, Gérald Gassiot-Talabot, who selects him for Mythologies quotidiennes at the Palais de Tokyo in 1977. Quite quickly, he joins the group that would later be called narrative figuration, exhibits and becomes known for practicing a painting he describes as guided by the discipline and spirituality of Zen. He meets the auctioneer Hervé Poulain in 1970 and forms a strong friendship with him for 25 years. He publishes a third novel, Maman, with Calmann-Lévy in 1980, and creates the poster for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As the twenty-first century approaches, he stops painting, publishes a fourth book, Le Paradis des singes Martin, and a collection of poems at the initiative of Marc Giai-Miniet, Mythologies SDF. He discovers computers and the creative possibilities of Photoshop. Since then, he has continued to practice digital art and writing but has withdrawn from the contemporary world, seeking fulfillment in art, literature and contemplation.

It took him five years to write what may be his last book, Manuel de survie en terrain ennemi, which appeared in September 2017 from Jacques Flament editions.

The Bibliothèque nationale de France has digitized his four novels published in the 20th century (Relire site [archive]).