Philippe Hiquily (1925-2013) est un artiste français singulier. Sculpteur mais aussi créateur de mobilier, Philippe Hiquily s’est tenu à l’écart du marché de l’art et des mouvements artistiques. Libre, hédoniste, il confère à ses œuvres un esprit à la fois onirique et surréaliste. L’érotisme quasi omniprésent et la délicatesse de ses réalisations contrastent avec l’aspect brut des matériaux de récupération qui lui servent de base. Philippe Hiquily intègre l’Ecole nationale supérieure des Beaux Arts de Paris en 1953. Il fréquente rapidement l’atelier de César mais développe une approche personnelle de la sculpture : il utilise la tôle, moins chère que le bronze, et la soude par la technique du métal direct. Sa rencontre avec l’artiste Germaine Richier est déterminante : elle le conseille, l’encourage et lui commande même des socles et des sellettes pour ses propres sculptures. Philippe Hiquily fait rapidement partie des jeunes artistes qui font les beaux jours de Saint-Germain-des-Prés, et après deux expositions dans la galerie Palmes et la galerie du Dragon, il est contacté par la galerie new-yorkaise The Contemporaries. L’exposition, organisée en 1959, est un succès. Toutes les œuvres sont vendues et l’une d’entre elles est acquise par le musée Guggenheim. Son succès a des échos en France et, la même année, sa sculpture Jérémie obtient le prix de la critique lors de la première biennale de Paris. Au début des années 1960, il est repéré par le décorateur Henri Samuel et devient rapidement une référence incontournable du milieu de la décoration. Cette activité lucrative lui permet de continuer à faire des sculptures. A partir des années 1980, très influencé par l’œuvre de l’artiste américain Alexander Calder, il explore la question de la mobilité, de l’équilibre et du mouvement. En intégrant à ses œuvres des moteurs électriques, il insuffle une nouvelle dimension à la conception traditionnelle de la sculpture. Sa notoriété s’accroît et son oeuvre est scellée dans l’histoire et le quotidien : l’artiste reçoit des commandes publiques, comme celle d’une Marathonienne haute de 6 mètres pour la ville de Vitry-sur-Seine, en 1981, et son travail est représenté dans de nombreux musées comme le MoMA et le Guggenheim, New York, le Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, le Museum of Contemporary Art, Montréal, le Musée National d’Art Moderne et le Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, ou encore le Musée d’art moderne de La Havane. Philippe Hiquily est un artiste qui revendique le plaisir, l'enchantement. Il a bouleversé notre rapport à l’œuvre d’art non seulement en donnant à la sculpture de multiples facettes - tantôt objet d’art, tantôt mobilier - mais surtout en la plaçant au centre d'une démarche interventionniste avec l'introduction du jeu de bascule avec les oeuvres La Funambuleuse (1981), les Pirouettes (1985-1990), les Galipettes (1988 – 2000), La Claudinette (1999) ou encore La Sauteuse (2002).
Philippe Hiquily (1925-2013) is a singular French artist. Sculptor but also furniture designer, Hiquily kept himself at distance from the art market and artistic movements. Free, hedonist, he gives his artworks a dreamlike and surrealist spirit. The nearly ubiquitous erotism and delicateness in his creations contrast with the brutal aspect of the found materials he uses as a basis for his work. Hiquily joined the National Fine Arts School in Paris in 1953. He rapidly joined César’s studio but developed a personal approach to his sculpture: using metal sheets, cheaper than bronze, and welding them with the direct metal technique. His encounter with artist Germaine Richier was essential: she advised him, encouraged him and even asked him for plinths and stands for her own sculptures. Hiquily soon became a member of the young generation of artists who brightened Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and after two exhibitions in the Palmes Gallery and Dragon Gallery, he was approached by The Contemporaries gallery in New York. The exhibition, organized in 1959 was a success. All the artworks were sold and one of them became a part of the Guggenheim Museum’s collection. His success echoed in France, and in the same year, his sculpture Jérémie won the critical prize at the very first Biennale of Paris. In the early 1960s he was noticed by the decorator Henri Samuel and soon became a remarkable reference in the world of decoration. This lucrative activity allowed him to continue to practice his sculptural work. From the 1980s, very influenced by the work of American artist Alexander Calder, he explored the questions of mobility, balance and movement. By integrating electric motors to his pieces, he injected a new dimension in the traditional approach to sculpture. His notoriety increased and his work was sealed with history and his daily life: the artist received public commissions (such as a 6m tall Marathon runner for the city of Vitry-sur-Seine, in 1981) and his work has now been exhibited in numerous museums (MoMA & Guggenheim, New York, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, Museum of Contemporary Art, Montreal and the National Modern Art Museum and Center Georges Pompidou in Paris, Modern art Museum of La Havane). Hiquily is an artist who claims pleasure and enchantment. He changed our vision of an artwork, not only by giving sculptural work multiple facets - sometimes art object, sometimes furniture - but especially by placing it at the center of an interventionist approach, by introducing the seesaw (La Funambuleuse, 1981, the Pirouettes,1985-1990, the Galipettes, 1988-2000, The Claudinette,1999, The Jumper, 2002.
Philippe Hiquily (1925-2013) is a singular French artist. Sculptor but also furniture designer, Hiquily kept himself at distance from the art market and artistic movements. Free, hedonist, he gives his artworks a dreamlike and surrealist spirit. The nearly ubiquitous erotism and delicateness in his creations contrast with the brutal aspect of the found materials he uses as a basis for his work. Hiquily joined the National Fine Arts School in Paris in 1953. He rapidly joined César’s studio but developed a personal approach to his sculpture: using metal sheets, cheaper than bronze, and welding them with the direct metal technique. His encounter with artist Germaine Richier was essential: she advised him, encouraged him and even asked him for plinths and stands for her own sculptures. Hiquily soon became a member of the young generation of artists who brightened Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and after two exhibitions in the Palmes Gallery and Dragon Gallery, he was approached by The Contemporaries gallery in New York. The exhibition, organized in 1959 was a success. All the artworks were sold and one of them became a part of the Guggenheim Museum’s collection. His success echoed in France, and in the same year, his sculpture Jérémie won the critical prize at the very first Biennale of Paris. In the early 1960s he was noticed by the decorator Henri Samuel and soon became a remarkable reference in the world of decoration. This lucrative activity allowed him to continue to practice his sculptural work. From the 1980s, very influenced by the work of American artist Alexander Calder, he explored the questions of mobility, balance and movement. By integrating electric motors to his pieces, he injected a new dimension in the traditional approach to sculpture. His notoriety increased and his work was sealed with history and his daily life: the artist received public commissions (such as a 6m tall Marathon runner for the city of Vitry-sur-Seine, in 1981) and his work has now been exhibited in numerous museums (MoMA & Guggenheim, New York, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, Museum of Contemporary Art, Montreal and the National Modern Art Museum and Center Georges Pompidou in Paris, Modern art Museum of La Havane). Hiquily is an artist who claims pleasure and enchantment. He changed our vision of an artwork, not only by giving sculptural work multiple facets - sometimes art object, sometimes furniture - but especially by placing it at the center of an interventionist approach, by introducing the seesaw (La Funambuleuse, 1981, the Pirouettes,1985-1990, the Galipettes, 1988-2000, The Claudinette,1999, The Jumper, 2002.