Timeline

1955

Born in Niort, France, spent his childhood in the marshlands of the Poitou region and on the Atlantic coast

1963

Moved back to Niort to attend school

1967

Started painting, showing interest in Surrealism

1973

Finished secondary school studies and moved to Paris to paint and study architecture

1976

Discovered Art Brut, the writings of Jean Dubuffet (1901-85 French Surrealist artist) and the

1977

Returned to the territory of his childhood - the marshlands of the Poitou which helped inspire and

Showed interest in Land Art, works by Richard Long (b. 1945- British Environment artist) and

Became friend with artist Jean Degottex (1918-88 French Contemporary master)

1978

Started to design the first elements of “Moon Garden Series” based on debris found in nature.

Added narrative statements, still working on it

Built an ensemble of sculpture related to the earth, water, wind and the moon

Wrote architectural thesis “Constructions from Nature” stressing art and poetry

1979

Completed architectural thesis with help from Jean Degottex

Obtained a research grant from the Centre National Contemporary Art

Left for New York, met Nam June Paik (1932-2006 Korean Installation artist), Donald Judd (1928-94 American Minimalism artist), Joseph Beuys (1921-86 German Conceptual artist)

Developed a passion for Henri Michaux (1899-1948 French poet & artist)

Invited by The Centre Georges-Pompidou to produce three films on the theme of “Artist Progaganda”

1980

Created “Lunar Calendar Series” which he considered as the true starting point of his body of work

1981

Concluded his four-year research in a doctoral thesis, awarded high honors by the Sorbonne University

1982

Spent time in New York, met Keith Haring (1958-90 American Pop artist) and Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-88 American Graffiti artist)

French National Television shot the first film about him and art magazines published the first articles

1983

Spent most of time in Paris and New York

First show “Sentini and Sacro Bosco Series” in New York

Interested in the early astronomical charts at Library of Observatory in Paris, which inspired his paintings for the following ten years

Met Arman (1928-2005 French Nouveau Realism artist) and Christo (b.1935- American Environment Installation artist)

National television channel France 3 filmed the second exhibition in New York

1984

Developed cosmography based on astronomical designs of the past

1986

Gathered materials: pieces of corroded zinc, driftwood, scraps of rusty iron, fragments and shreds from the Atlantic coastline of France and used them in his artwork until 1989

1987

First solo exhibition in Spain

Began painting on army-issued blankets, shown at Gutharc-Ballin Gallery, Paris, France

Started to create prints

1988

Commissioned by the French State to do a monumental tapestry “Human Rights Series”

Painted in public at the International Festival of Photography in Arles, France

1989

“Human Rights Series” Tapestry Traveling Exhibition dedicated in Aubusson by ex-President Francois Mitterrand and Minister of Culture

1990

Created paintings and prints based on early astronomical charts and painted twenty large canvas works in an abandoned warehouse (now the French National Library) for the Angers Museum exhibition, France

Created a great ecliptic chart at Élancourt high school in Maurepas, France

1991

Used different materials on his works such as found burnt hardboard and tar paper. Inspired by these works, created large prints and exhibited in Japan, Belgium, USA, France

1992

Painted 36 canvas works in the Cultural Pavilion in Moscow, exhibited at the inauguration of the Moscow Center for Contemporary Art and the Botanical Museum of Brussels

First sculpture exhibition in Paris, an installation of mythical objects made of wood, riveted sheet metal, bronze, hemp rope at Hadrien-Thomas Gallery

1993

Spent time in Japan, and held his first exhibition there

Organized a ten year retrospective exhibition in the Royal Château of Amboise, France

Created large paintings “The Angel's Continent Series”

1994

Continued developing sculpture, and started producing paintings on leather and large canvas, including figurative elements

First painting & sculpture exhibition in Taiwan

Met Zao Wou-ki (b. 1921- International Chinese abstract artist) and became his friend while traveling in Morocco

Commissioned by the French State to produce three tapestries “Small Astronomical Series”

1995

Produced mural pieces and smaller sculptures “Invention of the World”, “Eclipse-making Machines”, “Eyeing Mechanisms”

1996

Sculpture became more significant. For the first time, the French State collected his sculpture

Invited to create “The Centre, the Circle and the Periphery” for the Poitiers Media Library, assembly of large celestial charts and small murals in wood and bronze

1997

Created 19 new prints and the Editions Somogy published an exhaustive volume on his engravings

Painted at the Ponant shipyard in La Rochelle, France and filmed a documentary by Thalassa television crew

1998

Painted 40 canvases at the Villa Noailles for the City of Hyeres

Commissioned to create “The Conviction of Navigator Series” of monumental tapestries and sculptures

Designed an astronomical garden for a medieval castle in the south of France

1999

Mostly dedicated to his three favorite media: engraving, sculpture and painting

2000

Produced a few monumental sculptures

2001

Showed new work “The System of the World” at La Défense in Paris, France, centered around the iconography of astronomy since the Renaissance

Honored guest at the Brest International Gathering of Tall Ships and organized four exhibitions

Commissioned large canvasses by important international companies

Created new sculptures and prints

2002

Created a series of bronze sculpture on mysterious animals

Visited Manhattan, New York, USA

Made sword for artist Zao Wou-ki on the occasion of Zao’s election into the prestigious L’Institute de France, as a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts

Created mysterious animal sculptures in bronze for the public garden in Porquerolles Island, France

2003

Finished 20 paintings and some prints produced on sailing maps at the beacon of Cordouan in Spain

2004

Visited Shanghai, designed a series of bronze sculptures depicting mysterious animals, and used old China naval maps as the background of his painting

Created a monumental tapestry series for Museum of the President of the Republic Sarran in Correze, France

Created coloured glass work for Trizay Abbey in Charente, France

2005

Year of France in China 2004-5 exhibition “West/East” at the Shanghai Art Museum, showed

40 works, some large paintings on old nautical charts and animal sculptures

2006

Created sculptures for French Groups

Ongoing project of an installation facing the sea for Atlantic Foundation