'Art'

‘Art’
Written by	Yasmina Reza
Date premiered	28 October 1994
Place premiered	Comédie des Champs-Élysées, Paris
Original language	French
Subject	What is "art"?
Genre	Comedy
Setting	The Paris apartments of Serge, Marc, and Yvan
IBDB profile

‘Art’ is a French language play by Yasmina Reza that premiered on 28 October 1994 at Comédie des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The English language adaptation, translated by Christopher Hampton opened in London's West End on 15 October 1996.

The comedy, which raises questions about art and friendship, concerns three long-time friends, Serge, Marc, and Yvan. Serge, indulging his penchant for modern art, buys a large, expensive, completely white painting. Marc is horrified, and their relationship suffers considerable strain as a result of their differing opinions about what constitutes "art". Yvan, caught in the middle of the conflict, tries to please and mollify both of them.

The play is not divided into acts and scenes in the traditional manner, but it does nevertheless fall into sections (numbered 1-17 by Pigeat).^[1] Some of these are dialogues between two characters, several are monologues where one of the characters addresses the audience directly, and one is a conversation among all three. At the beginning and end of the play, and for most of the scenes set in Serge's flat, the large white painting is on prominent display.

Plot

Set in Paris, the story revolves around three friends—Serge, Marc and Yvan—who find their previously solid 15-year friendship on shaky ground when Serge buys an expensive painting. The canvas is white, with a few white lines.

Serge is proud of his 200,000 franc acquisition fully expecting the approval of his friends.

Marc scornfully describes it as "a piece of white shit," but is it the painting that offends him, or the uncharacteristic independence-of-thought that the purchase reveals in Serge?

For the insecure Yvan, burdened by the problems of his impending wedding and his dissatisfaction at his job as a stationery salesman, their friendship is his sanctuary...but his attempts at peace-making backfire. Eager to please he laughs about the painting with Marc but tells Serge he likes it. Pulled into the disagreement, his vacillations fuel the blazing row.

Lines are drawn and they square off over the canvas, using it as an excuse to relentlessly batter one another over various failures. As their arguments become less theoretical and more personal, they border on destroying their friendship.

Awards and nominations

Awards

• 1998 Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy
• 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy
• 1998 Molière Award for Best Commercial Production
• 1998 New York Drama Critics' Circle Best Play
• 1998 Tony Award for Best Play

Nominations

• 1998 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play

References

1. ^ Pigeat, Aurélien (2005) (in French). « Art ». Paris: Hatier. ISBN 2218750899. 

Further reading

• Reza, Yasmina (1994) (in French). “Art”. Arles: Actes sud. ISBN 2869434103. 
• Reza, Yasmina; Hampton, Christopher (1996). ‘Art’. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0571190146. 

External links

• 'Art' (play) at the Internet Broadway Database