Horses

“No artist is absolutely master of his material, which is not a simple moldable in the service of its artistic thought. There is necessarily dialogue between the hand and the object, so sluggish it is before being worked. It is the capacity to take into account the answer of its material which we can judge the artist through. We shall imagine easily that when the material makes way for a human being, for a horse which is sculptured at the same time as sculptor, the dialogue between him and his rider is not only essential but that it is the texture of the work.”
Bartabas, extract from Manifeste pour la vie d’artiste
Zingaro - iconic horse
Le Caravage ©Fred Chehu
Majestic
Horizonte
Quixote
Zanzibar ©Fred Chehu
Soutine ©Nabil Boutros

In the rage and ferociousness feigned in the days of Cabarets (1984-1990), with the great Friesian that pretended to devour its master as a terrorizing and juvenile demiurge; in the booted eagle, the permanent escort for the black colossus named Zingaro; from the spiritedly rebellious adolescence to the current asceticism, with its clean lines and shadow theatre, remaining unfailingly cavalier; everything is there, in secret, inscribed on the surface of the horses’ hair, flanks and necks.  The bird of prey has turned into a white goose, seemingly less wild, but still in flight.  All are free to play with the emblems, and long-lost horses not reincarnated.

Sophie Nauleau, extract from L’autre Bartabas

To follow are presented some of the most symbolic chargers among 150 horses which participated in the shows of Zingaro for 30 years.