De La Croix  Exclusively in Black and White

By Dr. Etienne Leroux

Excerpt from an art study on Maximillien de La Croix’s Progressive Neo Cubism

Painting, left: Time Behind Your Doors, 8ft x 6ft, oil on linen, circa 1980,  by Maximillien de La Croix de Lafayette.

 

De La Croix Black and White Retro original artwork was executed between 1987 and 1989. This work is known to the art community as “De La Croix in White and Black” because the artist magnificently used exclusively the shades of two colors, BLACK and WHITE. Although, De La Croix is famous for his vibrant colors in a multi-dimensional level of forms, interpretations and colors, in this series, he admirably transcended the depth and wealth of Black and White and brought to life new nuances to those two colors which usually he used as eloquent background for his canvases. Many students of the cubism school and advocates of the Avant-Garde Deco Style defined this Black and White work as a new vision and a new interpretation of the Contemporary Progressive Cubism.

 

Mirage of Thoughts,  8ft x 8ft, oil on linen                                             Infinita, 10ft x 8ft, oil on linen

 

Painting, left: Playing Dice with Hazard, 6ft x 4ft, mixed media: Charcoal and oil on linen, circa 1980, by Maximillien de La Croix de Lafayette.   

On one hand, this series appears to be purely “ultra modern”, and on the other hand, it conveys a Gnostic-Mystical message. This quasi-contradiction transports us to a multi-level dimension of simplistic evocation nourished by visions and mystical quest for colors and forms that are usually the medium of or the expression of intense and vibrant palette. This magnificent BLACK AND WHITE SERIES does not respond to one particular artistic curiosity, nor does represent the traditional cubism style of de La Croix. In that sense, it is quite unique, innovative and friendly “stranger” to his style. Yet, it does reveal a unity with his brilliant intellectual mind, mystical visions and passion for the “Elan Moderne”.

 

De La Croix in Black and White Series is one of my favorites, more correctly, it is my most cherished choice. Needless to say, it represents an era by itself and offers a common denominator for those who favor the “ultra-moderne”, those who quest for the “Mystique” and especially art lovers who combine the simplistic format and complex evocation of two rival colors which mysteriously blend together to create a new artistic plateau. Upon looking at those fabulous paintings, you might wonder whether you are gazing at oil paintings or state of the art photography. Believe it or not, they are oil painting, not a photo-montage.

 

 

This is a very special collection. A real gem. A very fine work most suitable for contemporary establishments, retro atmosphere and avant-garde ambiance.  This series has been superbly reproduced as prints and laminated posters in a standard format. It is an exclusive production of AGENCE GRENADIER and GARDENER MUSEUMS AND ARTS CONSORTIUM.