Raymond E. Waydelich
Born in Straßburg in 1938, artist Raymond E. Waydelich still
lives near the heart of that Alsatian metropolis.
Even before he and his works began to travel to distant corners of
the world Raymond was well-known in his home country. Whether as pianist,
singer or creator of Happenings of the ´70´s, or as the renowned artist
of current times, Raymond has always been found at the pulse of
contemporary Alsatian culture.
His fabulous creations, both painted and sculpted, have found homes
in houses throughout the region. You may even discover his artistic
presence in a fine Alsatian restaurant in the fanciful beasts of his
creation that decorate the menu or hold the candles.
After studying in Straßburg and Paris, the young Waydelich made his
way through North Africa as a traveling photographer. There he discovered
his fascination for archeology, which has since appeared and re-appeared
in his work as “the archeology of the future“.
An insatiable collector of all manner of objects, Raymond dissembles and
re-assembles, paints, preserves and documents. His works may be 2-dimensional
or sculptural. In them we find the world and its contents gathered together
like cards in a deck, then shuffled and re-dealt into fascinating new
juxtapositions.
Even Raymond´s most serious works bear witness to his playfulness, wit and
poetry. In the course of collecting, a photographic portrait came into his
possession of Lydia Jacob, a seamtress who lived in Strassburg during the
latter part of the 19th century. Her name and the remnants of her history
became the originating impulse for a continuing cycle of works, the
“Lydia Jacob Story“, on which Raymond has been working since 1973. Could it
be said that she became his anima? The artist says, “Lydia Jacob? C´est moi“.
In 1978 Raymond´s work was shown in the Biennale in Venice. Exhibitions in Paris,
New York and Tokyo followed. His prize-winning paintings, collages, objects and
installations continue to be viewed in Europe and beyond.
The LYDIA JACOB STORY Cards place into the hands of the viewer a private exhibition
to enjoy at home. Raymond E. Waydelich invites his fans, both new and old,
to take a card and step into his - and Lydia Jacob´s - universe.
