Henri Michaux, a Belgian poet and painter from the 20th century, was a man who shunned the limelight and preferred a life of seclusion. Residing in a run-down hotel particulier on the Left Bank of Paris, Michaux was known for his aversion to being photographed and his penchant for blending into the background with his unassuming appearance.
Despite his unremarkable exterior, Michaux was a surrealist at heart, though he distanced himself from the Surrealist movement’s social gatherings. In a rare interview with poet and art critic John Ashbery in 1961, Michaux spoke of the “grande permission” that Surrealism granted him, a phrase that defies easy translation.
In the early 1960s, Michaux delved into the world of psychedelics, particularly mescaline, in controlled settings to explore his own consciousness. The experience led him to create a series of drawings that were intense and frenzied, reflecting his altered state of mind.
Recently, twenty-one of these drawings have been displayed at the Courtauld Institute in London. The exhibition space, with its low ceilings and grey walls, provides a secluded and intimate setting for Michaux’s works. The drawings, characterized by detachment and restraint, feature monochromatic tones and minimal splashes of color, reflecting Michaux’s disdain for the flamboyance of painting.
The drawings convey a sense of detachment and introspection, with subtle hints of human presence in the form of tiny heads and eyes. Michaux’s mark-making is both spare and intricate, evolving into a personal calligraphy that vibrates and blurs on the paper. Each drawing is a journey into Michaux’s imagination, a quest for self-definition under the influence of mescaline.
“Henri Michaux: The Mescaline Drawings” exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery offers a glimpse into the artist’s introspective and experimental process. Curated by Ketty Gottardo, the exhibition runs until June 4 and invites viewers to explore Michaux’s unique artistic vision through his enigmatic drawings.
