Cesar Baldaccini, AKA Cesar
(1921-1998)

A French assemblage sculptor, Cesar was one of the forerunners of “found art.” He was known to visit scrap yards and re-use car parts and other scrap metal. He would use these actual objects instead of what they were meant to represent.

Self-Portrait, 1973
 

Cesar was born in Marseille and studied there at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. He was born to an Italian father and a French mother, and grew up very poor. His childhood poverty forced him in a way to become creative, and it was in the junkyards where he found free or cheap materials. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s that he really began to work with metal and soldering, and in 1952 he created his first sculptures in steel.

Scorpion Statue



Poulette

The 1960s marked the height of his popularity, and his signature style had taken off among the Parisian social elite. His 1965 giant thumbs for the Tate Modern Museum in London.

Gold Thumb

 

In 1970 he became the Studio Director of the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, and the following years he began creating jewelry and worked in Plexiglas.

While Cesar is best known for his work in scrap metal, his complete oeuvre is varied, as he experimented and worked in numerous mediums. Cesar would work in virtually anything he could find from cardboard to resin and of course, paper. He also worked as a designer, creating posters for strip clubs and saloons.

Pink Poster



Mural

Perhaps his best claim to fame would be that he designed the French film “Cesar” award, aptly named after the artist.

French "Cesar" award

While Cesar remained prolific until his death in 1998, it is speculated that he didn’t have much of a hand in his later works. By this time, he had a team of artists working for him to complete his visions. Today, Cesar’s work can be found in a number of museums around the world, as well as throughout squares and gardens in Paris.

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