Pierre Bettencourt

Pierre Bettencourt was a writer, poet, publisher, butterfly hunter, and tireless traveler. His journeys took him to Africa, Oceania, the Far East, the Indies, the United States, Mexico, and beyond. In Normandy, he crafted his literary works, focusing on writing, typography, printing, and publishing. Meanwhile, in Burgundy, he created several relief artworks.

Biography of Pierre Bettencourt

Pierre Bettencourt was born in 1917 in Saint-Maurice-d'Ételan, France. After completing his secondary studies in Le Havre and Savoie, he attended Paul Valéry's poetry course at the Collège de France in Paris (1936 to 1938). During this time, he also developed a passion for theater.

In 1941, he acquired a manual printing press. Over the next decade, he used it to publish limited editions of his own works and those of notable authors such as Henri Michaux, Antonin Artaud, Francis Ponge, Guillaume Apollinaire, and Jean Dubuffet.

From 1946 to 1947, he traveled extensively, venturing to Corsica, Algeria, and throughout Africa. His journeys took him overland to Nigeria, Niger, and the Belgian Congo, and by sea to Zanzibar and Madagascar. Upon his return to Paris in 1947, Pierre Bettencourt met Jean Dubuffet.

Starting in 1953, Pierre Bettencourt hunted butterflies, creating his first collages using butterfly wings. He later crafted his initial assemblages from various recycled materials found in nature, such as bone, flint, fabric, sponge, coffee grounds, and eggshells. He also crafted his first high reliefs, which became his trademark.

In June 1962, following travels to the United States, Mexico, Egypt, Hong Kong, Japan, Jakarta, and Bali, the artist married Monique Apple, a visual artist and author.

In 1963, Pierre Bettencourt and his wife established their residence in Stigny in the Yonne region, where he remained active in his pursuits until 2006. During this period, he simultaneously pursued his literary endeavors, created drawings, and continued crafting his high reliefs.

For an extended period, Pierre Bettencourt's creations remained confidential and intentionally removed from the mainstream artistic circuits, though they were notably showcased at the Daniel Cordier Gallery in Paris. Other exhibitions of Bettencourt's works were held at Galerie Baudouin Lebon, Espace Berggruen, and Galerie Christophe Gaillard.