# Charlélie Couture

Charlélie Couture (born Bertrand Charles Elie Couture, 26 February 1956) is a French and American musician and multi-disciplinary artist, who has recorded over 25 albums and 17 film soundtracks, and has held a number of exhibitions of paintings and photographs. He has also worked as a poster designer, and has published about 15 books of reflections, drawings and photographs.

## Life and career

He was born in Nancy, and graduated from l'École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. He released his first album, 12 Chansons dans la Sciure ("12 Songs in the Sawdust") in 1978, followed by Le Pêcheur ("The Fisherman") in 1979 and Pochette surprise ("Lucky Dip") in 1981. He was then signed by Chris Blackwell to Island Records, becoming the first French artist on the label. He recorded the album Poèmes Rock in New York, and also contributed a track to the album A Christmas Record issued by ZE Records, an affiliate of the Island label. He had a hit single in France with the track Comme un Avion Sans Aile.
Also in 1981, he founded, in Nancy, the Local à Louer group of photographers, painters, poets, and stated in his "Art Rock manifesto" that "Art must make the junction between the functionalism of industrial society and the aspirations of pop culture". He also launched an art journal, Le Télégramme. In 1983, he wrote his first complete film soundtrack, for the movie Tchao Pantin ("So Long, Stooge"), for which he was nominated for a César Award. He held his first exhibition of drawings and watercolours in Paris in 1985, and continued to record and tour. In 1990–91 he visited Australia, recording two albums there, Melbourne Aussie and Victoria Spirit.
Later in the 1990s, his recordings were less successful and he concentrated more on photography, drawings and paintings. In 1997 he recorded a blues-influenced album, Casque Nu ("Naked Helmet"), in Chicago. In 1998, he was awarded the title of Officier du Mérite National. He worked extensively preparing posters and publicity for tennis tournaments, including the posters for the 2002 Davis Cup Final between France and Russia. In 2004, he settled for several years in New York, from where he released two albums, Double Vue (2004) and New Yor-Cœur (2006).
In April 2020 he announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

## Discography
### Studio albums

* 1978: 12 chansons dans la sciure
* 1979: Le Pêcheur
* 1981: Pochette surprise
* 1981: Poèmes rock
* 1982: Quoi faire?
* 1983: Crocodile Point
* 1985: Art & Scalp
* 1987: Solo Boys
* 1988: Solo Girls
* 1990: Melbourne Aussie
* 1991: Victoria Spirit
* 1994: Les Naïves
* 1997: Casque nu
* 1999: Soudé soudés
* 2001: 109 (Poèmes électro)
* 2004: Double vue
* 2006: New YorCœur
* 2011: Fort rêveur
* 2014: I m M o r t e l
* 2016: Lafayette
* 2019: Même pas sommeil
* 2020: Trésors cachés et perles rares
* 2022: Quelques essentielles

### Collaborative albums

* 1995: Dawn Town Project (with Mike Rimbaud)

### Live albums

* 1989: 3 Folies Live (recorded at Folies Bergères during Solo Boys and Girls tour)
* 1993: Souvenirs Live (recorded during 1991/1992 tour)

### Soundtracks

* 1983: Tchao Pantin
* 1989: La Salle de bain

### Compilation albums

* 1990: Sides of Me
* 1991: Island Colors
* 1996: Patchworks

## Summary of Artistic Creations

* www.theregallery-nyc.com
* www.meetcharlelie.com

### Education and conferences

* 1973 – Lives home and goes on the road for one year
* 1974 – Graduates " Art Baccalauréat " from outside the higt school system.
* 1979 – Graduates with honors from the Beaux-Arts DNSEP
* Jury for many conventions and festivals among them American film Deauville)
* 2000 – Conference to the Commission Europeenne about Art and Culture
* 2004 – Conference " Conversations Essentielles " " " Faith %26 Culture " Paris
* 2007 – Beaubourg Art Pocket Film, 2006, Québec Festival 1998 etc...
* 2008 – Conference " Conventions Essentielles " Music and Creation, Paris
* 2011 – Conference " The Multism ", New York and Lecture " Discourse about The Multism ". La Sorbonne / Paris

### Solo Exhibitions

* 2012: Sept-installation "Manhattan" a project with 100 wood sculptures, France
* 2012: Big Panel Photo-graff- Paris LCL
* 2012: CharlElie Black Art curated by Nomade monade- Lille Artfair
* 2011: "Re-Construction" Dune Showroom, New York, USA
* 2011: "Peintures et Photografs" Galerie Naclil, Lille France
* 2011: Salon d'Art contemporain Strasbourg, Galerie Nomade Monade France
* 2011: Salon d'Art contemporain Metz, A'del Gallery, Lyon France
* 2011: "New York Be" Galerie W Paris France
* 2011: AAA Galerie, Nogent sur Marne France
* 2011: Salon Balt'Art, Nogent sur Marne France
* 2011: Permanente exhibition, The Re Gallery, New York, USA
* 2010: "Drawings and photografs " Galerie Antonio Nardonne, Brussels, Belgium
* 2010: "New York on lines " Galery A.del, Lyon, Biennale de la photographie
* 2009: "New York, Photo-Grafs", Galerie Beaudoin Lebon, Paris
* 2009: "Shower Curtain and Photos" Maison Française/Washington
* 2009: "Photos New York" "Mosaïque de Photo" La Collégiale Saint-André/Chartres Curated by Nadine Berthelier Directeur des Arts et du Patrimoine culturel et historique, Conservateur en Chef du Patrimoine
* 2008: "Re Construction Paintings and Photos", Crid'Art, Amneville, France
* 2008: "Art Floor" Photos, Galerie Agnes Martel, Switzerland
* 2007: "Re Construction", Galerie Mourlot, New York (USA)
* 2007: Galerie Ô, Vevey (Switzerland)" New York Shields %26 Paintings"
* 2005: "Living with Art", Soho, New York (USA)
* 2005: Opens his Art Studio in the Garment district
* 2004: Gallery Art at Home, Soho, New York
* 2004: Art Basel Miami – French Tuesday Art Night
* 2004: Move to New York.
* 2004: Galerie Sparts, rue de Seine Paris
* 2004: Galerie Wable, Lille France
* 2003: Laval Museum (France) Retrospective Exhibit on CharlElie's "L'art Total"
* 2003: Gallery Ô, Pozzo Di Borgo Vevey (Switzerland)
* 2003: Gallery SOTO Brussels (Belgium)
* 2002: Museum Le Corbusier – La Chaux de Fond (Switzerland)
* 2001: Galerie Capazza Nancay, inaugurates a new wing of his huge Gallery.
* 2000: Clermont Ferrand, Galerie Gastaud
* 2000: Lyon, Galerie Chomarat (paintings and drawings)
* 2000: Gallery Wable, Lille and Boulogne sur Mer
* 1999: Museum of Erotism – Paris "X Positions" (photos, paintings)
* 1999: Publicis/Champs Elysees (Tennis drawings)
* 1998: Gallery Akka, rue de Seine, Paris, France
* 1997: Fondation Nationale de la Photo, Lyon France (Photo-poems)
* 1997: Retrospective of "Chambres d'hotels Polaroids" Château Lumière, Lyon / France
* 1997: Drawings and paintings et the Galerie Wable in Boulogne sur Mer
* 1995: Avignon France Cloitre des Arts (Sculptures and drawings)
* 1995: Galerie Gastaud, Clermont Ferrand France
* 1994: Galerie Ziggourat, Brussel (Belgium) "Chambres d'hotel"
* 1993: "Chambres d'hotels" drawings, in Geneva, Galerie Papiers gras
* 1993: "Chambres d'hotels", drawings paintings, Galerie Nachbaur, Paris
* 1991: Galerie Atsuro Tayama (Paris) France
* 1991: Australian paintings and photopoems, Galerie Jean D'eve, Neuchatel (Switzerland)
* 1989: Exhibit Multimedia engravings/sculptures/paintings/musics/drawings/photos/texts
* 1989: Galerie " Halle Sud " of Geneva
* 1985: First exhibit in Paris, drawings and watercolors of "Chambres d'hotels", Galerie Du Jour/Agnès B
* 1971: First painting and photo exhibit

### Various

* 2010: Poster for "Le Palais Ideal du Facteur Cheval"
* 2006–2009: Creates posters for FFT, and tennis tournaments
* 2003: Creation of poster for the Davis Cup Final (France-Russia)
* 2001: Participation in the creation of the "Livre de Roland Garros 2001" – set of photos of the greatest photographers – William Klein, texts by Patrice Dominguez and drawings by Charlelie
* 1995: Designing the sets and costumes for the show "Concert Naïf au pays des Anges" at the Théâtre National de L'Odéon
* 1995: Bézier Museum exhibits a work on cardboard entitled "Knoxville USA"
* 1995: Creation a fresco for the opening of the FNAC in Nancy
* 1995: Creation of CD ROM "Papers works", exhibit in Metz
* 1994: Creation of fans for the galerie La Pochade, Paris France
* 1994: Conception and drawing of the new Logo for the Lorraine Region
* 1993: Inauguration FNAC in Avignon, " Photos d'hotels ", traveling exhibit in France
* 1988: Actor and song writer for the film "The Moderns" (USA) by Alan Rudolph
* 1983: Nomination to the Cesar show for his soundtrack of Claude Berri film Tchao Pantin
* 1982: Editor of the performing arts newspaper the Telegramme

### Group Exhibitions

* 2011: Exhibitions "Mail Art" drawings – SpArtS Gallery Paris
* 2010: Exhibitions, Art for a Better World, Miami, FL, Artbasel
* 2010: Street Artak street Art Festival, Angers
* 2010: "New York by" Galerie W, Paris devoted to L'Angelus, Barbizon, 100 artists salute Millet
* 2009: Group show/FACEBOOK'S FRIENDS a virtual reality /Curator Michael Picoron
* 2008: Temple Emmanu-El of Closter, Brooklyn
* 2008: "Shower Curtains" ACMDM, centre d'Art Contemporain in Perpignan, France
* 2007: New York Art Floor with Peter Klasen (Photos) Metz (France)
* 2006: "Crossings" at Living with Art NYC Soho. (With Thurman & Pascal)
* 2003: "Sport Tools" for an Art Exhibition during the Olympic Games of Athens 2004
* 2000: International Art Market in Strasbourg
* 1999: Creates a watch-box for Swatch / Paris Place Vendôme
* 1997: Eurexpo show, Geneva, Switzerland
* 1981–1986: Founder of an artists group called "Local a Louer" including painters, poets, graphic artists and photographers publishing of the " Manifeste de l'Art Rock " Numbers of exhibitions Paris, Tours Lille, Nancy
* 1978: Salon des artistes indépendants Paris

### Publications

* 2012: " Et avant" (And Before) CharlElie (author), Serge Bloch (illustrator)
* 2011: "New York Be" Publisher Editions du Chêne, book, Photography
* 2009: "New York by CharlElie " Publisher Editions du Chêne, book, Photography
* 2009: Manhattan Photo-grafs Special Edition Book, L&N Editions
* 2004: Artistic Travel notebook "En Australie", publisher Presse de la Renaissance
* 2000: Creation of posters for Jean Pierre Cassel performance, and for various sports tournaments in ad abroad France (Tunisia)
* 1999: "Beaux Gestes ", Tennis Drawings Pré aux Clercs Editions
* 1999: "Transfocus" digital photographs accompanied by a CD Rom with original recordings FNAC Publishing
* 1998: "Le couloir des brumes", Novel Pré aux Clercs Editions
* 1998: "Filles de jour" Marval Éditions, Illustrations and texts in parallel with the photographs of Martial Lorcet
* 1996: "Les Champs Paraboliques" on line. First version of the Web site CharlElie.com (Charlelie is one of the pioneer of the art web-site)
* 1995: Book of poetical reflections " Inventaire Paradoxal des petits plaisirs et de grandes haines " Stock Editions
* 1995: "25 images secondes" Illustrations for a novel by Hervé Eparvier, Serpent à Plume Editions
* 1992: Book of drawings "Jimmy Jacket" Art Editions, R Meier
* 1992: Book of photographs "Do not disturb", Marval Editions Plume
* 1989: "Les dragons en Sucre" Novel – Ramsay Pauvert Editions
* 1989: "Solo Boys and Girls", a collection of songs texts with original photographs and drawings Seghers Editions
* 1984: Collection of drawings entitled " Cahiers d'Ecoles " reproduced on " alugraphie " paper though the art publisher, Voix R Meier

### Selected articles and reviews

* "Les chemins parallèles", first book written by Alain Gilson about his multi-work. Published by Pierre-Marcel Favre –Switzerland 1988.

### Selected catalogues

* 2010: "Follow the Line" Publisher RentingArt, reflexion about CharlElie's art prospective
* 2007: "New York" Ô Quai des Arts Galerie, Vevey Zwitzerland
* 2007: "Re Constructions" Galerie Moulot, New York, USA
* 2007: "30 années de regard" Galerie Capazza, Nancay, France
* 2006: "Atelier Newyorcoeur ", Presse Litteraires, France
* 1993: "Chambres d'Hotel" Galerie Nachbaur, Paris France
* 1992: "Australian Roadbook " Galerie J Lovera (France)

## Awards

* 2010: Chevalier des Arts et lettres
* 2003: Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, given by Mr Stephane Hessel
* 2001: Roland Garros 2001 collection is awarded the Lacoste prize
* 1999: Lacoste Prize for the best drawings sports book of the year Beaux Gestes
* 1998: Officier du Mérite National awarded by the Minister of the Cultural Affairs
* 1989: Academy Charles Cross Award
* 1978: Quintard Prize from Academy Stanislas for the quality of his Art studies
* 1976: Second prize for Young Photojournalist from the city of Nancy.