Provenance: Allan Stone Gallery, New York.

Robert Combas is widely recognized as a progenitor of the “figuration libre” movement that began in Paris around 1980 as a reaction to the art establishment in general and minimalism and conceptual art in particular. “Figuration libre” is often regarded as having roots in Fauvism and Expressionism and is linked to contemporary movements such as Bad Painting and Neo-expressionism. It draws on pop cultural influences such as graffiti, cartoons and rock music in an attempt to produce a more varied, direct and honest reflection of contemporary society, often satirizing or critiquing its excesses. While Combas’ works often seem to carry an element of shock or confrontation, he insists that the images are meant to engage the viewer, and their execution in vibrant colour and bold, unfettered line communicate a spirit of proletarian camaraderie that offsets the tendency to overwhelm, in the larger works especially. In a biographical note on Robert Combas’ official website the artist asserts his aim is to: “provoke, that is, to trigger a reaction in the spectator only to ‘invite’ him, beckoning him in and whispering in his ear ‘come over and talk to me, I want to tell you about the stupidity, violence, beauty, love, hatred, seriousness and fun, the logic and senselessness that pervade our day-to-day lives’ ”. Combas lives and works in Paris.