Jean-Marc Bustamante
Timothy Taylor Gallery, London
6 September - 6 October 2006
Timothy Taylor Gallery presents an exhibition of new work by Jean-Marc Bustamante. For his third solo exhibition at the Timothy Taylor Gallery, Jean-Marc Bustamante exhibits a series of jewel-like, sculptural plexiglass objects which were first shown earlier this year in the ground-breaking exhibition -beautifuldays- at KUB Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria. Jean-Marc Bustamante has also created ‘Contraposto II’, a previously unseen sculpture of galvanized steel with ink on plexiglass.
“The elements cut out of the material also form impediments or passages for the obstructed gaze that collides…with printing inks on Perspex, that throws light back at us like a delicious pain. The paradox of the reflecting materials, the sand-blasted steel, perspexy-sexy with its transparency and curved highlights.” Jean-Marc Bustamante
A series of ‘Trophées’ form a major part of the exhibition. Operating simultaneously as painting and relief sculpture, free-hand forms are cut out of steel plates, opening up to reveal a brilliant surface of underlying coloured Perspex, creating deep pools of reflection. Diverse materials are used to capture light to be either reflected or absorbed. Further works titled ‘Panorama’ and ‘Perfect Dream’, utilise the same method of silkscreen printed on plexiglass to achieve bold, abstract yet familiar images. ‘Panorama Okinawa’, (2005), evokes a tropical landscape and ‘Panorama Lion’, (2005) suggests the mane of a lion. Surfaces vacillate between being opaque and transparent. Colours entice, yet remain intangible.
In the late 1970’s Jean-Marc Bustamante changed the perception of photography in French art with his monumental ‘Tableaux’ blurring the boundary between painting and photography. Following his 1983-87 collaboration with Bernard Bazile, his practice became yet more complex with an exploration of the relationship between photography and sculpture, and between photography and painting. When chosen to represent France at the 2003 Venice Biennale, Jean-Marc Bustamante explored these three media in more depth with his Sérigraphiés on plexiglass, juxtaposed with photographs and sculpture. For this solo exhibition at the Timothy Taylor Gallery in 2006, the artist continues to push the boundaries between the three disciplines which fascinate him and challenge the viewer.
This exhibition is part of ‘Paris Calling’, a season of Contemporary art from France initiated by the French Embassy and the Afaa/ Culturesfrance.
TIMOTHY TAYLOR GALLERY
24 Dering Street, London W1S 1AN
