Guy de Cointet

Guy de Cointet (1934–1983) was a French-born artist based in California who created text and sculptural works, often combining them as props and stage sets in theatrical performance pieces.

Biography Guy de Cointet was born in Paris in 1934, the son of a military officer. He attended high school with Yves Saint Laurent and the fashion photographer Jérôme Ducrot, both of whom shared and influenced de Cointet's interest in fashion. After unsuccessfully competing in a 1952 clothing design competition sponsored by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, de Cointet attended the École des Beaux-Arts de Nancy. In 1956 he moved to Paris, where he worked as an illustrator for the magazines Vogue and Jardin des Mondes.

de Cointet moved to New York in 1965, following brief stays in the Canary Islands and in central France near Limoges. Shortly after arriving in New York, de Cointet was introduced to the sculptor Larry Bell by their mutual friend Susan Hoffman. Bell hired de Cointet as an assistant, working first at Bell's studio in New York. He later followed Bell to Venice Beach, California, where de Cointet would reside until his death in 1983. Between 1975 and 1977 he taught at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles, giving courses focusing on performance art.

Artwork Guy de Cointet's text works on canvas and on paper were based on systems of encoding or abstracting text, such as by mirror writing. These pieces used found text from popular culture, everyday conversation or literary sources, often creating a humorous, droll, ironic, or melancholic effect. He produced several encrypted publications, including a completely encrypted newspaper titled ACRCIT. Silkscreen printed by Pierre Picot, a French artist teaching at CalArts, ACRCIT was distributed for free through newspaper boxes across Los Angeles.

His work has influenced that of Paul McCarthy, Mike Kelley, and Catherine Sullivan, among others.

Selected works

Performances Lost at Sea (1975) Five Sisters (1982) Ethiopia (1976) Iglu, Ramona, Cigar, (1977) Tell Me (1979) The Bridegroom (his last work, never performed in his lifetime)

Ethiopia, Iglu, Cigar, and Ramona were collaborations with the artist Robert Wilhite. Five Sisters was a collaboration with artist Eric Orr.

Books and publications A Captain from Portugal (1972) A Few Drawings by Guy de Cointet (1975) ACRCIT (newspaper, 1975)

Selected exhibitions Who's That Guy?, MAMCO, Geneva, 2004 Making Words With Things, CRAC, Séte, 2006 Guy de Cointet, Le Quartier, Quimper, curated by Frédéric Paul, 2011