César Baldaccini - Index

One of the most important concepts in the history of artistic production has been that of "mimesis," or the human need to imitate and reproduce nature, that which surrounds us. Nature refers to everything that can be grasped through the five senses—in short, phenomenal reality. Figurative art trends can be considered those that, in the representation of the world, adhere most closely to this objective and sensorial dimension, leaving little room for abstraction and subjective interpretation.

Much better known for his sculptures made from compacted car wrecks, fingers are another iconographic theme present in César Baldaccini's work. His sculpture "Le Pouce" (The Finger) in front of the La Defense building in Paris is well-known. It is a gigantic reproduction of the artist's thumb, his fingerprint. For César, one of the leading exponents of Nouveau Réalisme, reality must be represented vividly, even banally. Thus, in this sculpture, the index finger is presented in a hyperrealistic manner, revealing all its folds, abrasions, and wear. The work's assembly is also extremely evocative, with the compact block simultaneously housing the sculpture of the finger and revealing its imprint.

César Baldaccini, better known as César, was born in Marseille in 1921 and died in Paris in 1998. He was one of the most important sculptors of the materialistic and Nouveau Réalisme movements. He became known in the 1950s for his use of unusual materials in his sculptures. His elements range from raw iron recycled from the metallurgical industry, welded with a blowtorch, to poor, worn materials, the byproducts of mass consumerism. His first solo exhibition was in Paris in 1954. Two years later, he participated in the Venice Biennale. In the 1960s, he began his series of compacted automobile wrecks. His Happenings between 1967 and 1970 were also highly interesting.

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