Pierre Toutain-Dorbec

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Pierre Toutain Dorbec, born April 16, 1951 in Orbec, France (Normandy), is a sculptor, painter, photographer, and writer.

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[edit] Biography

Pierre Toutain-Dorbec. Le Passeur du Gange, India, 2002
Pierre Toutain-Dorbec. Le Passeur du Gange, India, 2002

Pierre grew up in Orbec, Normandy and in Paris, there were family homes in each location and they moved between the two as needed to accommodate his education and his mother's career. Since he was thirteen years old his education was focused in the arts. His Grandfather Gabriel and his Uncle Jean where both photographers and artists, his Father Jacques was an interior designer and is now a painter, and his Mother Françoise was a professional musician and opera star in the Paris Opéra. His art education began with his family, who taught him the traditional techniques in drawing, painting, sculpting and photographing, and also included complete dark room training. He photographed and drew his family and his native country, Normandy, very early. He knew and was influenced by the famous French figurative painter Pierre Laffillé, his grandparent’s neighbor.

At sixteen he studied classic drawing techniques in one of the most famous art schools in Paris, Atelier de la Grande-Chaumiére. At the same time, he worked as an assistant with the world acclaimed and well-known photographer Wilhem Maywald, who was living on rue de la Grande-Chaumiére near the Atelier.

Pierre Toutain-Dorbec. Elephant, bronze, edition: 8, 2002
Pierre Toutain-Dorbec. Elephant, bronze, edition: 8, 2002

By the end of 1968, encouraged by his uncle and grandfather (who died this same year), he left his hometowns of Orbec and Paris to discover the world. He became one of the very rare “world traveling artists”. Since this time, he has been traveling around the world.

From 1968 to 1995 he focused mainly on Asia, North Africa and North America. Throughout his adult life he has photographed, drawn, written, sculpted and painted as a career. This work was done during his travels and a result of his experiences. During this period he published over thirty books, exhibited his photographs, drawings, sculptures and paintings in different places in Asia, Europe and North Africa.

Pierre Toutain-Dorbec. Les Innocents Series, oil on canvas, 2004
Pierre Toutain-Dorbec. Les Innocents Series, oil on canvas, 2004

Since 1995, he has lived in France where he worked on personal projects, primarily sculpture and photography. From 2001 to 2003, he created, curated and was the Director for the International Museum for Photography, located in the ancient château de Belcastel for which he has been acclaimed in Europe.

Pierre Toutain is a self made man who studied art with members of his family, photographer Wilhem Maywald, painter Pierre Laffillé and in the Atelier de la Grande-Chaumiére (Paris). Pierre studied sculpture with some of Thailand’s famous sculptors during the restoration of Bangkok’s most important Buddhist temples, Wat Po and Phra Keo. In Asia, he studied Buddhism Philosophy at the University of Bangkok and History of Indian Civilisation at the University of Bénarès (Varanasi).

[edit] Books published by Pierre Toutain from 1976 to 1992

Pierre Toutain-Dorbec. L'Enfant au Fusil, Cambodia, circa 1979
Pierre Toutain-Dorbec. L'Enfant au Fusil, Cambodia, circa 1979
  • Normandie, Éditions Dorbec, Pont-Audemer, 1976.
  • Confréries de Charité, Éditions Dorbec, Pont-Audemer, 1976.
  • Thaïlande, Éditions Sawadee, Bangkok, 1977.
  • Chiang-Maï, Éditions Sawadee, Bangkok, 1978.
  • Des guerres et des enfants, édité à compte d’auteur, Rabat, 1978.
  • Maroc, Éditions Photo 2000, Rabat, 1979.
  • Fantasia, Éditions Photo 2000, Rabat, 1979.
  • Atlas, Éditions Photo 2000, Rabat, 1979.
  • Phuket, Éditions Sawadee, Bangkok, 1980.
  • Opéra, Éditions Sawadee, Bangkok, 1980.
  • Wat Pra Keo, Éditions Sawadee, Bangkok, 1981.
  • Rien que la Guerre, et Toi, Éditions Rachid Asnaoui, Casablanca, 1981.
  • Une brève histoire du Maroc, Éditions Rachid Asnaoui, Casablanca, 1982.
  • Bénarès (textes et photographies de Pierre Toutain):
    • Éditions Richer/Vilo, Paris, 1985. 128 p. ISBN 2-901151-17-5. (bilingual edition with an English translation by Mostyn Mowbray).
    • Éditions UBS Publishers, New Delhi, 1985.
  • Bénarès (text and photography by Pierre Toutain, preface by Pupul Jayakar), Éditions BNP, Paris, 1985.
  • Thaïlande, Éditions Temps de Pose, Paris, 1986.
  • Cambodge, édité à compte d’auteur, India, 1986.
  • South-East Asia, édité à compte d’auteur, India, 1986.
  • Népal (photography Pierre Toutain-Dorbec, text Michel Gotin):
    • Éditions Temps de Pose, coll. «Destination», Paris, 1986. 128 p. ISBN 2-906063-00-2.
    • Éditions Merehurst Press, London, 1986.
    • Éditions UBS Publishers, New Delhi, 1986. ISBN 0-948075-19-8.
  • Tibet (photographies de Pierre Toutain-Dorbec, avec une interview du Dalaï Lama, textes de Pierre Joffroy).
    • Éditions Merehurst Press, London, [[1986. ISBN 0-948075-69-4.
    • Éditions Temps de Pose, coll. «Destination», Paris, 1986. 128 p. ISBN 2-906063-05-3.
    • Éditions UBS Publishers, New Delhi, 1986.
  • Québec (photography Pierre Toutain-Dorbec, text Frédéric Barreyre):
  • Paris (photographies de Pierre Toutain, textes de Philippe Ganier-Raymond):
  • Éditions Merehurst Press / London, 1987.
  • Éditions Temps de Pose / Paris, 1987. ISBN 2-906063-04-5.
  • Rajasthan (photography Pierre Toutain, text Gérard Busquet):
    • Éditions Temps de Pose, coll. «Destination», Paris, 1988.
    • Éditions Harrap Columbus, London, 1988. ISBN 0-7471-0136-1.
    • Éditions UBS Publishers, New Delhi, 1988.
  • Ganga, Éditions Ganesha, Calcutta, 1989.
  • Calcutta, Éditions Ganesha, Calcutta, 1989.
  • Itinéraires, édité à compte d’auteur, Nepal, 1989.
  • Sadhu, Éditions Ganesha, Calcutta, 1991.
  • Rien que pour Toi, édité à compte d’auteur, Bénarès, 1991.
  • Tibet: le toit du monde (photography and text Pierre Touain-Dorbec, preface by Dalaï Lama). Éditions Denoël, coll. «Planète», Paris, 1991. 119 p. ISBN 2-207-23895-4.
  • Villajoyosa, édité à compte d’auteur, Spain, 1992.

[edit] Special Editions and Collectors Books

[edit] Exhibitions paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings

Pierre Toutain-Dorbec. Cathy, bronze, edition: 8, 2003
Pierre Toutain-Dorbec. Cathy, bronze, edition: 8, 2003
  • Chez Willy, Par mes Yeux, Paris / France,1968
  • A la Grande-Chaumiére, Des Encres, Paris / France, 1969
  • La Photographie Galerie, Premiers Voyages, Pont-Audemer / France, 1976
  • Shangrila Hotel, Encres d’Inde, New-Delhi / Inde, 1976
  • Easy Art, Des Solitudes, Calcutta / Inde, 1977
  • Best Art, Du Vide, Calcutta / Inde, 1978
  • Nandy Art Shop , Gange, Bénarès / Inde, 1978
  • Asnaouï Art Center, Désert, Rabat / Maroc, 1979
  • Maison des Arts, Du Sable, Casablanca / Maroc, 1980
  • Art Center, Pour Toi, Bangkok / Thaïlande, 1980
  • Sirinat Modern Art, Buddhism, Chiang-Maï / Thaïlande, 1981
  • Art Connection, Temples, Bangkok / Thaïlande, 1981
  • Centre d’Art, Les Enfants et la Guerre, Evreux / France, 1981
  • Centre d’Art Contemporain, Les Enfants et la Guerre, Annecy / France, 1982
  • Maison de la Culture, Les Enfants Soldats, Tours / France, 1982
  • Katmandu Art, Abstractions, Katmandu / Népal, 1983
  • Galerie Saint-Paul, Ultra Seul, Paris / France, 1983
  • Galerie Saint-Paul, Encore ?, Paris / France, 1984
  • Singapor Shangrila, Ultra Larmes, Singapour, 1986
  • Temps de Pose, Sculptures, Paris / France, 1986
  • Maison de la Culture, Nouvelles Encres, Bruxelles / Belgique, 1987
  • Temps de Pose, Tout noir, Paris / France, 1987
  • Katmandu Art, Pour Rien, Katmandu / Népal, 1988
  • Temps de Pose, Tout blanc, Paris / France, 1988
  • New Art Galery, Tibet, Bombay / Inde, 1989
  • Alicante, Des Ocres, Alicante / Espagne, 1990
  • Arte Galeria, Lacrimas, Valencia / Espagne, 1991
  • Salon des Arts, Seul au Monde, Vence / France, 1992
  • Rencontres Artistiques, Des Pleurs, Florence / Italie, 1993
  • Salon de la Photographie, Sadhu, Paris / France (collectif), 1993
  • Penta Center, Retrospective, Genève / Suisse, 1994
  • Albert Ier, Sculptures, Chamonix / France, 1995
  • Allard, Sculptures récentes, Megève / France, 1995
  • Atelier Galerie, Rétrospective Toutain, Cannes/ France , 1996
  • Link, Lettres de l’Inde, Madras / Inde, 1997
  • Art Lotois, Rétrospective, Cajarc / France, 1998
  • Gordon’s, Nouvelles abstractions, Bombay / Inde, 1999
  • Galerie Flean, Nouvelles peintures, Saragosa / Espagne, 2000
  • Association Art en Aveyron, Inde, Drulhe / France, 2000
  • Musee de la Photographie, Itinéraires, Château de Belcastel / France, 2002
  • L’Atelier Galerie, C’est comme ça, Villefranche / France, 2004
  • Galerie A Contrario, Bronzes Torse, Limoges / France, 2004
  • Galerie Temps Présent, Rétrospective, Evian / France, 2004
  • Galerie RM Studio, Les Innocents, Santa Fe / USA, 2005
  • Musée des Beaux-Arts, Secrets d'Enfance, Bernay / France, 2005/2006
  • Lennon Fine Art Gallery, À Propos de Voyages, Santa Fe, New Mexico / USA, 2006
  • Indigo Gallery, My World, Madrid, New Mexico / USA, 2006
  • Pierre and Claudia Gallery, Grand Voyageur, Santa Fe, Nouveau Mexique / USA, 2006

[edit] Articles and Publications in the press by or about Pierre Toutain

Approximately 1,500 articles have been published in magazines such as: Paris-Match; Géo; Figaro-Magazine; Zeït Magazin; Photo Reporter; Fotonauta; Sunday Times; Mundo; Epoca; Bunte; Stern; The Observer; Best; Libération; Time Life Books; Dépêche du Midi; etc.

[edit] Auctions

Some works of Pierre Toutain have been sold in auctions recently though Drouot in Paris and Bloomsbury’s Auctions in London. Quotations are available on Artprice and Akoun.

[edit] External links

In other languages