European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 05, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Art world louvre exhibit pays tribute to David by Marilyn August associated press f Iii i1 ended .1 hectic year if in Enlen Mal celebrations ant i in gins 109 wit i an immense Retro Pec live of the works of Jacques Louis David the  r we put his Genius to the h Vii f of politics and ultimately his own ambition. On show through feb. 12 in the louvre in Paris Are 245 paintings sketches Anil drawings l y the  whose artwork Mil Carver reflect the Tutti Lent Anil bloody events of 200 years ,150. Two of his monumental works the oath of the leu he f aume and the distribution of the tasks were considered too fragile to be in veil and pm be seen at the Palace of Versailles. Few French artists were As problematic As David who emerges from history As hungry for Power As the successive dictators he served. He was chief propagandist of the revolution and later the Premier Painter of Napoleon Bonaparte. After the emperor s fall David fled to Belgium where he lived until his death too proud to ask for a Pardon from the restored Bourbon monarchy. His remains were taken horns to France last dec. 19 for a proper and official burial in the Pete Lachaise cemetery in Paris. This is both a Symbol of Franco belgian Friendship As Well As a tribute to the Man whose Lite and work were wedded to history French culture minister Lack Lang said of the exhibit. A political propagandist the artist immortalized such revolutionary heroes As lean Paul Marat whom he depicted dead in a Bathtub and Joseph Bara the Young boy Bayon called for refusing to Salute the King and who cried Vivo la Republic Niue instead. More than any other artist David s work recounted the events of his Day As they happened. The Coronation of the Imper or and the impress 11105 07 looks much like a modern Day news photo despite the fact that David painted himself into the Spectator s  and added Napoleon s Mother when she was absent. In his private life David was ruthless. Hated and David s famous tableau the Coronation of the emperor and the Empress displayed at the itome. Loved feared and respected he Hail few friends and i on sided in no one. Some say he was Plain cold blooded. As a member of the committee of general Security he signed Many arrest warrants sending some of his own artist colleagues to the Guillotine. Though he escaped death after Robespierre s fall he did spend some time in jail where he produced two of his most fascinating works a haunting self portrait and the huge painting the Sabine  inspired by a Irue to life historical event David depicts the ancient Sabine women thrusting themselves and their babies Between battling romans and Sabine men. Often inter pc Tell As an Appeal for National reconciliation in War torn France David wrote that was my thought when i grabbed the  critics agree that modern Art begins with David. An up grilled craftsman and master of color he abandoned the flowery decorative styles of his predecessors and embraced simple structures and forms borrowed from classical painting and sculpture. I Lis embrace of classical themes the result of a five year stay in Rome in 1775-80 was interpreted in Many different ways. For Robespierre and his revolutionary followers David was a precursor of the values they invoked to justify the reign of terror. David s the lit tors bringing Back to Brutus the bodies of his sons 1789characterized by Brutus icy stoicism was often cited As a perfect example of the personal sacrifice necessary for the Overall Good of the nation. The work in fact was a Royal commission and had nothing to do with the revolution. A gifted portraitist David also immortalized the coquettish and Beautiful Juliette re Ramier reclining tin her Day bed. And Napoleon astride his rearing White horse crossing the is. Bernard pass. I lev  the Eric t rules of the Academy to which he belonged ill pit Tini his subjects on huge canvasses normally reserved Tor historical Tableaux or religious themes. Visitors familiar with David s work will be surprised to see the number of portraits David never finished in lulling the famed Madame re Camier because he often quarrelled with his subjects. Sculpture is dangerous for inventor of blast Art by Marilyn August associated press sculpture is risky business for French artist Chantal Collet. Instead of chisels she sculpts with dynamite hand grenades and artillery shells. Collet 39, is the inventor of blast Art a term she created to describe the jagged hunks of twisted steel born from her carefully planned explosions. Her studio is on her family s farm outside Paris in the Middle of Corn and beet Fields. The explosions she sets off using Between 11 and 33 pounds of dynamite rattle windows Miles away. The farm is dotted with sculpture of All shapes and sizes including a giant mushroom form made from an imploded Gas canister and Graceful Flower pots sprouting stainless steel tulips from inside. During a recent interview Collet demonstrated her Art using Penth rite for the explosions. The Penth rite itself in t dangerous. Things get Lisky the moment you connect the explosive to the Detonator she said holding up the two Inch device. If this goes off before i m ready i la lose three fingers and an  the most treacherous aspect of her work she said comes from elements she cannot control such As the random electrical current generated by High Speed trains passing just 16-1 feet from the Woods where she does the blasting. The current could ignite the explosive before she is safely away. Preparations for the explosion took More than an hour. Collet wrapped the plastic coated Penth rite cords in a spiral design around the inside of a cylindrical steel Frame that supported a vacuum sealed aluminium can. At one Point the rusted Frame tipped Over with Collet inside and narrowly missed the water table in which the explosion was to take place. Once the can was secured inside the Frame it was lowered into the vat. Collet then wound up an electrical Sparker that set off the blast which sent a Shower of water High into the air wetting onlookers. When the Frame was hoisted out there was Collet s sculpture a dripping crumpled aluminium can filled with dirt balls. She was Only half pleased. The hardest part of my work is trying to determine How the material is going to react Given the amount of explosive used and How it is attached she said. This in t bad but i think i la explode it again to open up the top  Collet has been working with explosives for seven years Ever since the Day she found an abandoned rusting Gas canister. Its hollow shape was what i d been trying to achieve in Mai ble and Wood for a Long time she said. The moment i saw the can i knew i d found my  she. Has perfected her knowledge and use of explosives during frequent seminars at French military bases. In the beginning she was the oddball artist. Today she is known to everyone and is taken seriously enough to receive Grants from the culture and defense ministries. Besides Penth rite and dynamite Collet sculpts will hand grenades and artillery shells. She finds out when the military base in Bourges is planning to fire missiles and artillery shells and places her material in the right position so it will be blown up in the Way she wants. Not everyone agrees with her methods. She has run into considerable opposition not Only from Art institutions such As the beaux Art Academy where she trained but also from private galleries collectors and even fellow artists. People told me i was Cray when i began working with explosives. They might look at the sculpture and say they like in but when they find out it was done with explosives they shy away she said. But she dismissed the idea that her work is off putting because it bears the traces of violence and ultimately death. To me the sculpture conveys notions of Power and Energy latent in the  22 it Pitt i