YVES CRENN
YVES CRENN
VA R I AT I O N S
axelle.com
cover | Nu drapé 39¼” x 31½”
above | L’homme à la capuche 11¾” x 11¾”
2 | Nu assis I 55” x 49¼”
Dos I 63” x 43¼”
Dos IV 49¼” x 35½”
Nu 31½” x 31½” | 5
6 | Nu assis III 31½” x 31½”
Dos III 49¼” x 35½”
YVES CRENN was born on August 13, 1969 in Vernon, France, about 80 km outside of Paris. From an early age, his mother encouraged him to draw and supported his interest in art. Thus, at the age of ten, when he traveled to Italy with his family, Yves became fascinated by the wonder of Pompeii. The old frescos, architecture and the human figures, so perfectly preserved in the volcanic ash, would prove be a guiding influence throughout his career. Tragedy befell the Crenn family in 1985, when Yves’ brother died. Perhaps as an outlet for his sorrow, Crenn completed his first paintings. Expressionist painters such as Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoshka, and Francis Bacon served as key influences in these early works. In 1990, at the age of 21, Crenn began school at “Les Beaux Arts de Rouen”, where he studied oil painting and drawing for six years. It was here that he discovered the work of Rembrandt, Manet, Velasquez, Lucian Freud, and Morandi. After his fourth year, Crenn was selected by his professors to represent “Les Beaux Arts de Rouen” in Germany and to participate in a large group show in Braunshweig. In 1996, he received his diploma with many accolades from the jury and went on to participate in numerous group exhibitions in Normandy. One year later, Crenn met the art dealer, Daniel Duchoze, who introduced the emerging artist to Normandy’s most reputable galleries. He continued to participate in several collective expositions, where he associated with E. Gillet, P. Garel, Corneille, Tony Soulié, and R. Zanotti, until his first solo-exhibition. In 2003, Crenn discovered that by replacing oil paint and dry pastel with a combination of watercolor and pastel he could create unique textural effects, as well as provide smooth color transitions. This quickly became his media of choice, since it gave him a means of expressing his perception of the world. The people, the places, and the objects of Crenn’s surroundings are now ever-present in his œuvres. Crenn enjoyed his first solo exhibition in 2004 at the Duchoze Gallery in Rouen, France. His paintings were incredibly well received by both the public and critics. This response was affirmed by several articles, which were published in the art journals, Artension and Mirror of Art. Mirror of Art described Crenn’s figures as “naked treaties with character” that offer an alternative look at the body. Artension believes that art is like an “expression of an individual interior need”, which is a concept that Crenn’s artwork clearly illustrates.
Dos V 49¼” x 35½” | 9
Dos II 49¼” x 35½”
Nu assis II 55” x 49¼” | 11
12 | Atlantique I 47¼” x 31½”
Atlantique II 47¼” x 31½” | 13
14 | New York III 35½” x 49¼”
14 | NewDani York II24”47” x 18” x 31½” | 14
L’homme au chapeau rouge II 11¾” x 11¾” 16 | Le journal 11¾” x 11¾”
Femme en bleu I 11¾” x 11¾” Femme au teddy bleu 22” x 22”
Le sac blanc II 11¾” x 11¾” Femme en bleu II 11¾” x 11¾”
Teddy 11¾” x 11¾” Le sac blanc I 11¾” x 11¾” | 17
18 | Passage I 19½” x 19½”
Passage II 27” x 27” | 19
©2013 Yves Crenn
YVES CRENN
20 | L’homme au chapeau rouge I 11¾” x 19½”
back cover | New York, West Broadway 39¼” x 31½”