Michel Lagarde, le fameux galeriste et éditeur parisien spécialisé dans l’illustration, a partagé il y a peu sur son compte Facebook les images de couverture d’une collection Robert Lafont publiée dans les années 1970. Elles l’ont tout de suite interpellé. Il raconte qu’un vieux monsieur tiré à quatre épingles, mais visiblement désargenté, Dimitri Dimitrievitch Selesneff, est venu lui proposer la vente de ses originaux il y a quelques années et qu’il y a repensé en voyant ces ouvrages.
Contrairement à ce que pensent la plupart des gens, il n’y a pas toutes les connaissances disponibles sur le Web. Comme une IA qui a besoin de tout ingurgiter pour générer un contenu, le Web ne contient que ce que les gens ont bien voulu mettre en ligne. Et tout ce que l’on peut trouver à propos de Selesneff, c’est qu’il est décédé en 2009 et qu’il était administrateur de l’Association des anciens officiers de la Marine impériale russe (ce qui nous donne une idée de son âge).
Le travail de Selesneff a de belles qualités qui rappellent un peu le travail au feutre de Pinter. Un trait simple, des cadrages impeccables, des masses bien structurées qui frappent tout de suite l’œil.
Ce billet n’est donc pas un pur billet coup de cœur, mais aussi un billet de curiosité. Selesneff a‑t-il réalisé d’autres travaux de ce type, ou était-il peintre ? Quelqu’un en sait-il plus sur sa carrière artistique ? Une enquête digne du Club des Cinq.
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Mort en 2009 et né en 1936, on sait au moins ça https://deces.matchid.io/id/rRcg9bbOXdf4
Ah, je n’avais pas la date de naissance. Mais du coup, il ne peut pas avoir galopé dans les plaines de l’Oural pour la défense du Tsar…
Quelques autres travaux sur sa fiche noosfere https://www.noosfere.org/livres/auteur.asp?numauteur=-38934&Niveau=illus
Oh, tu es plus malin que moi. Je n’avais vraiment rien trouvé. Je vais compléter.
peut-être a‑t-il travaillé comme graphiste maquettiste également https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4800287b
Flûte, on n’y voit aucune image.
aussi https://www.instagram.com/p/DWuSbDqEo0U/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXZwoqEjNve/
(une fois sur deux le site me dit que mon commentaire ”is not acceptable”, je sais pas pourquoi :D)
Probablement parce que tu postes des liens. Mais comme tu as déjà commenté, ça ne devrait pas poser de problème. Je vérifie.
Un charme,intrigant, finit par se diffuser…
Une idée du malaise derrière le trait épais faussement innocent…pour des bouquins charriant les mêmes sentiments.
La ligne claire apporte une espèce d’élégance inquiétante soulignée par le fond noir. On y projette nos fantasmes et nos angoisses.