Georges Koutsandreou

or nearly five years, in view of the complete hostility shown by the art official quarters to the notion of a new movement in painting, we have been existing in the wings of painting history.
Such « salons » as that of the « Beaux-Arts » at the « Carrousel du Louvre » ( the latest in which we took part, in 2007) do not seem to us really adapted to the visibility of a movement. That’s why, while awaiting more adapted proposals, the CONJONCTION movement is pursuing its existence and presentation on Internet.

1 Conceptual Elaboration

The elaboration of the CONJONCTION concepts is the conclusion of 35 years of research and reflections on Painting which began, for Georges Koutsandréou, after he left in 1976, the « Ecole Nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts » in Paris.


It is therefore quite understandable that the assertions of CONJONCTION might not
be approved of at once by those who discover them.

The CONJONCTION movement blog recapitulates its history, step by step, but let us say here that by first creating the « supra-naïve figuration » we meant to go further with the works of such painters as Barnett Newman, Ellworth Kelly, and Kenneth Noland, by applying them to figuration.

For a long time the notion of passage which is the key to the understanding of Newman’s painting ( whose zip declares space without dividing it ) has been occulted. It may be a coincidence but since we somewhat expressed ourselves in 2005, till the end of 2006, on the « art press » forums of the « Palais de Tokyo » and « Tate Britain », we have noted that the conceptual contribution of these minimalist painters is a little better restored in its essentials.

Of course, nobody will ever admit that two unknown artists may have brought up a lesson in painting that the Institutions had ignored, so much so that the very name of « minimalist painters » which was used in their lifetime to call their operating process, was forgotten.

To come back to the concepts of the movement one could sum them up
as follows :

1 The first assertions of the supra-naive figuration in 2005 were about the passage of the human-like figure over the rectangular format bringing in the third dimension without the help of perspective : three dimensions, therefore, expressed in two D.

2 The second stage, giving birth to the CONJONCTION movement in October 2007, asserts the perpendicular conjunction of the passage of the human-like figure over the rectangular format, associated with its other passage through the format, by means of
The tunnel effect target (which is a representation of the target in two dimensions).

Thus, our painting can only be understood with respect to its spatial dimension.
The demonstration of this movement is on the blog assigned to our Movement and we will stay ready to answer any questions put to us.


2 Discovery of new pictorial techniques

Martina Charbonnel’s painting brings figuration to its simplest expression to represent the deformations due to the speed of the silhouette’s passage, (an astronomical speed, or decelerated speed of light). The silhouettes are not painted and express the urgency of a transit between two passages « over » or absorbed, in the centre of a rectangular target, « to the other side » of the canvas.

Contrary to this process, Georges Koutsandréou always tries to find new materials to paint with. He had elaborated a technique with paint dusts in 1991 when his painting was not figurative yet and he used feathers’ auras.
This technique had attracted the attention of the Jean Fournier Gallery who had bought some of his works.

Quite recently, he has resumed one of his former studies as he has tried to find a luminescent paint, reflecting light such as mirrors or precious stones.
After some various experiences, as the melting of tin, he has found a hybrid formula to this end which enables him to work out vertiginous glazes. The concepts of the movement do not change but, since the beginning of 2009, he has given up paint dusts for reflections of light.

3 Promotion and diffusion of the movement

The promotion of the CONJONCTION movement is made essentially on Internet for want of other interesting proposals. Martina Charbonnel animates several blogs on Press sites allowing a fairly good visibility.

Our project in 2009 : a book recalling the history of the CONJONCTION movement and its background, the preliminary stages with the supra-naïve figuration, the keys to understanding our painting and its prospects.
For want of an editor the book will be published by ourselves, anyway.

Is a new movement in painting still possible in the 21st century ?
« No » we were told on various occasions of debate.

And yet…

The CONJONCTION movement does exist ! It carries on and completes the global history of Painting : this advanced painting has been worked out in two stages : first, the « supra-naive figuration » in 2005 which applied the principle of « passage » ( given up in painting since the time of « supports-surfaces ») to figuration.

Then, in 2007, the concepts of this movement extended and the notion of passage became more complex . This second stage in our assertions brought us to change the name of the movement, now called : « CONJONCTION ».

CONJONCTION is a MOVEMENT and not the mere pictorial operating process of two painters stating the same concepts with their own sensibility and personality. It’s a movement in so far as it opens new ways to painting and offers its reflections to other painters ready to take part in them. Some have begun to work at it.

Who are we ?
Two artists living and working in Bordeaux.

Georges Koutsandréou born on 7 July 1951 : he has painted since he was 17 years old.

Martina Charbonnel born on 24 October 1952 : she has painted since she was 25 years old.

Painting is our vocation. Our creation has always been founded on research and invention, that the history of painting may live and progress.