Robert Marc
b. 1943, Auxerre, France
d. 1999, Paris, France
Robert Marc was a French Post-Cubist artist who lived and worked in Paris. His paintings and collages reflect numerous influences, including African sculpture and the music of John Coltrane, as well as artists of the Russian avant-garde, such as Alexander Rodchenko. Although Marc first began painting in Paris during the 1960s, he preferred to paint while surrounded by nature, so he would escape to the French countryside whenever possible. In the 1980s, the gallerist Barry Friedman purchased an unsigned Cubist painting, only later realizing that it was by Robert Marc. He met with Marc, who confirmed that the painting was his, and the two began a friendship that would last until the end of Marc’s life. In 1989, Friedman gave Marc his first United States solo show. Due to its success—all the works were sold—Friedman gave him another show in 1995. Throughout his career, Marc exhibited frequently, both in France and internationally.