© Maxime Godard
© Maxime Godard
Bernard Alligand is a French painter and engraver, born in 1953 in Angers (Maine-et-Loire). He lives, works in France and travels regularly abroad
1977 - 1982
He was introduced to graphic art for 3 years, then to modeling and engraving at the Beaux-arts d'Angers (pupil of Jean-Jacques Deschamps). He won the Young Painting Prize (1981, 1982). The Guémard gallery (Angers) exhibited his work from 1980. He moved and set up his studio in Vence (Alpes-Maritimes) in 1982. He traveled to England, Spain, Germany, Greece, it was the beginning of a long series of trips, both professional and exploratory.
1983 - 1985
From 1983, he was exhibited regularly in Nice, Biot, Tourrette s / Loup, Saint-Paul de Vence, Vence, Angers and at the Dallas Art Fairs, New York. Travel: Italy.
1986 - 1988
The artist meets the Matarasso family (1986) who still present their bibliophilic work and their engraved work today. He meets Paul Hervieu who will exhibit it in Villefranche s / mer. Henri Goetz introduced him to carborundum engraving . The Rémusat workshop draws its first engravings. James Coignard introduced him to the Pasnic workshop where he worked with Max Papart, Pierre-Marie Brisson, Lionel. Exhibits permanently at the Longchamp gallery (Nice), at the Salon de l'UMAM (Nice). He returns to Italy.
1989 - 1992
Henri Goetz presents him to Vision Nouvelle, which offers the artist an exclusive contract . He made his engravings at the Art Gravé workshop with Henri Baviera. He meets Serge Hélénon, André Cottavoz, Shoichi Hasegawa, Gérard Eppelé, Olivier Debré. He exhibits in galleries and institutional venues: Château de Cagnes-sur-Mer, Broglin (Colmar), Barthélémy (Besançon), Du Marais (Paris), Grouard (Senlis), Raugraff (Nancy), Vasse (Lille), L ' Print (Strasbourg), Athena (St Brieuc), L'ami des lettres (Bordeaux), Les Cyclades (Antibes). He meets Jean-Pierre Geay and the photographers André Villers and Alkis Voliotis. He is selected at the Salon de l'UMAM. He broke his contract with Vision Nouvelle (1992). He travels and exhibits in Japan: Tokyo, Kobé, Wakayama, Kyoto… South Korea, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, United States.
1993 - 1994
The artist moved to Paris keeping his studio in Vence. He produced his engravings again at the Pasnic workshop and produced his first bibliophile books with the poet Jean-Pierre Geay : Hors Ligne éditions Comme Si and Au-devant Ed. L. Matarasso. He made a first series of ceramics at the Olivier Roy workshop. The first structures-wood works appear. He creates floors based on resins and rubber aggregates with an industrialist. Two retrospectives are organized, one at the Longchamp gallery (Nice), the other at the Château d'Aubenas 10 years of painting . He exhibits in galleries: Dazy (Dijon), Ducastel (Avignon), Cupillard (Grenoble), l'Estampe (Strasbourg), Vasse (Lille). Jacqueline de Champvallins presents her works in various art fairs in France and abroad. He meets: Arthur-Luiz Piza, Hans Steffens, James Pichette, James Guitet. Trip to Spain.
1995 - 1997
New releases from artist's books : Sombrer dans l'Infini, Grange Marine, Environs, Lisières du possible Ed. La Balance. The given light is presented at SAGA 97 by R. and L. Dutrou. The artist researches the print copies with Rank Xerox. He moved his workshop from Vence to Paris (1996). He exhibits in galleries: Addenda (Lyon), Théâtre (Besançon), Longchamp (Nice), Raugraff (Nancy), Berna (Paris) and various art fairs, SAGA, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, New York. First trip to Egypt (Luxor, Aswan).
1998 - 2001
Orders from companies are growing: Compaq, Imerys, Athéna, Completel, Info Industries. The artist 's work of bibliophilia extends to new poets: Gaston Puel, Tita Reut . He produced 22 engraving editions and created original editions of carpets . His first website was put online in 2000. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs granted him artist residencies in Egypt (1998, 1999, 2000, 2006), Morocco (2001, 2002), Iceland (2007), UAE (2007, 2008), Jordan (2009), Laos (2012). He exhibits in several French cultural centers. From the travels of the artist, new inspirations are born, the Impressions of Egypt which will be the subject of a publication on a text by Tita Reut and the Moroccan Footprints of which 2 will be used as bookmarks for French media libraries in Morocco. . He also works at the Rabat summer university around illustrated books. His dealers present his works at various international art fairs and events: New York, Frankfurt, Strasbourg, Art Jonction Paris. He exhibits in galleries: Déclic (Luxembourg), Pittsburgh (Pensylvanie - USA), Wind (Soest - Netherlands), Cupillard (Grenoble), Lans (Chambéry), Ducastel (Avignon), Matarasso (Nice). Travel: Italy, Morocco, Canada and return to Egypt.
2002 - 2005
Iceland is a new source of inspiration after a stay of a few weeks which will bring the artist to the Icelandic Walks . The first editions of prints of Empreintes Marocaines are appearing. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs grants him artist residencies in Egypt (2006), Iceland (2007). During these stays, the artist represents France at the International Biennial Imagining the Book at the library in Alexandria , Au Printemps français at the national library in Reykjavik . In 2004, a major exhibition presented 80 works in the Chapel of the Visitation in Thonon-les-Bains. New artists' books appear on poems by: Jean Pierre Geay, Tita Reut, Michel Butor, René Pons, PAB He produces ceramics : tables, dishes, jars, vases ... at Roy et Piano's workshops in Vallauris, as well as 'at Céline Turpin and Eric Pépin's studio in Blois. Responds to orders from Caisse d'Epargne, Socotec, Crédit Agricole, Onyx, Groupe Tests, Unicef. A catalog raisonné of engravings and artists' books was published in 2005 with a text by the poet Jean-Pierre Geay and the painter Yves Mairot . He creates new editions of rugs . He exhibits in galleries and institutional venues: Declic (Luxembourg), La Hune Brenner, Aittouarès, les Arcades, Allaire-Aigret (Paris), Maulny (Angers), Raugraff (Nancy), Annecy media library, Carmel de Tarbes, château d'Aubenas, Matarasso (Nice), Ducastel (Avignon). Travel: Spain, Morocco, Iceland.
2006 - 2007
More than 20 new etching editions appear, including a new approach with aquagravure . The artist creates new ceramics : large jars and dishes at the Céline Turpin workshop as well as a table in resin cast with the industrialist Boulenger. Responds to the order of the Swiss biscuit maker Kambly . The artist collaborates with the Icelandic poet Sigurður Pálsson , and continues to produce new artists' books with Michel Butor, René Pons, Tita Reut, Jean-Pierre Geay, PAB A new version of his website is online. Entry to Who's who in France. He exhibits in galleries and institutional venues: French cultural centers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Icelandic Embassy, Arcades, Marie Demange, Bouquinerie de Institut (Paris), Cupillard (Grenoble), Dazy (Dijon), Matarasso (Nice), Tem Sanat (Turkey). Travel: Portugal, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iceland.
2008 to 2013
The Toussaint d'Angers media library creates a conservation fund for the artist's bibliophile work, where the preparations and models of artists' books, letters with poets are gathered. The precious books department of the Bnf acquires a selection of its books. New editions are emerging with Michel Butor, Gaston Puel, Régine Detambel, Robert Marteau . About thirty editions of engravings appear. In 2009, the artist represented France at the Amman International Art Festival (Jordan). He exhibits in institutional venues and galleries: French Cultural Center in Luang Prabang (Laos), R. Linköping (Sweden), Covalenco (Netherlands), Göteborg (Sweden), Toussaint media library and Grand Théâtre d'Angers (2 concurrent exhibitions of around one hundred works and around twenty artist's books), Aubenas castle (around one hundred works), Strasbourg Chamber of Commerce, Arcades galleries, Arenthon, Nicaise, Ministry of Culture and of Communication (Paris). Travel: United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Oman. He returns to Iceland to collect the ash of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano .
2013 to 2017
Many media libraries acquire the artist's books to enrich their heritage collection. He produced new artist's books with the authors, Kenneth White, Régine Detambel, Salah Stétié, Antoine Emaz, Michel Butor including the work Ruines d'avenir by Éditions d'art FMA which will be exhibited at the Château d'Angers for 6 months, then in Nice. He is an exhibition curator for a tribute to Michel Butor at the National Library of Iceland in 2014. The Akié Aricchi gallery presents for the first time in Paris his works inspired by his travels in Iceland, then at the Marie Demange gallery in Brussels .
The artist exhibits in institutional venues and galleries: Saint-Corneille media library (Compiègne), Gustave-Eiffel media library (Levallois-Perret), L. Nucéra library (Nice), Aubenas castle, Marie Demange galleries (Brussels), The distant islands (Angers) and the Blaizot bookstore (Paris). Bernard Alligand continues to travel in Iceland, Thailand, Laos, in Europe (England, Czech Republic,…).
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2018 to date
Bernard Alligand devotes himself more and more to his work inspired by Iceland where he stays regularly. The Cluny Museum invites him to the Magic Unicorn exhibition to present the artist's book Aux jardins de la licorne produced by FMA Art Editions with Michel Butor. The Ceccano media library (Avignon) and the L. Nucéra library (Nice) are organizing a major exhibition around the bibliophile work Ruines d'avenir. The city of Nice is creating a conservation fund for all of its engraved work which can be consulted at the Romain Gary heritage library. A catalog raisonné volume II (2005-2017) is published. The Fund for the conservation of the engraved work in Nice and the Fund for the conservation of the bibliophile's work in Angers are the two places with all the works with models, letters, preparatory work, etc. Creation of the Bernard Alligand YouTube channel : catalogs, exhibitions, video books are available for consultation. He collaborates with new authors, Bernard Noël, Lionel Ray, Sigurður Ingolfsson, Jean-Clarence Lambert, Philippe Delaveau, Alain Freixe, Marc Alyn. He creates very large canvases , as well as a series of papers (more than a hundred) inspired by his Icelandic harvests. The media libraries and galleries Matarasso (Nice), Blaizot (Paris), l'Estampe (Strasbourg), Arenthon (Paris)… defend his work. Les éditions de l'Estampe publishes his new aquagravures.
