ARTISTS
Jochen Gerner: Monsieur Linea
Galerie Anne Barrault is delighted to present Jochen Gerner鈥檚 7th exhibition in its space.
The title 鈥淢onsieur Lin茅a鈥� is a reference to an Italian animated series broadcast on French television in the 70s. In it, viewers could see a character moving along a horizontal line whose only limit was the will of the cartoonist鈥檚 pencil. There will be no character in Jochen Gerner鈥檚 next exhibition, but lines, a tide of lines.
This would be the way to transform any object into something interesting. We鈥檇 start, for example, with a partly old-fashioned, partly blistered catalogue of furniture, a publication from the 1920s, but not a fine sample of today鈥檚 taste, with art deco desks or neat armchairs, but rather a collection of rustic tables with gnarled, carved legs, the heavy stuff as we say today. In this way, we鈥檇 be able to look at them differently, to see beyond their appearance. And soon, you鈥檇 be surprised to find a certain charm in these thick tops set on large spiral columns with their massive wooden balls like swollen knees. One would sense their unsuspected lightness and grace, long ignored by everyone, which would make one want to acquire them in their drawn form. A bulky, virtually immovable console would be unsuitable for your living room? You don鈥檛 need any grandmother鈥檚 household equipment, which moreover does not come from your grandmother鈥檚 house? No need to block your entrance with a dark wooden, dusty and massive counter? Well, it鈥檚 your lucky day: these models now exist in the artist鈥檚 revisited versions, slightly veiled to filter out their basic heaviness and each time reveal a new and unique face in interlacing and undulating patterns. Covered in shimmering layers, you鈥檒l still recognize them, but you鈥檒l be able to admire them in a transformed version.
This medium is visible and remains a mystery. You can observe the result at leisure, and the artist himself will be able to explain it to you 鈥� within the limits of his availability 鈥� but his intervention is decided between him and himself in a mixture of intuition and enthusiasm.
To decorate these enormous tables, we could have put bunches of peonies or of huge gladioli, or arranged dahlias in a chubby vase or a grand style bowl. But since the concrete supports have become Jochen Gerner鈥檚 works, we have had to proceed in the same way with the flowers. And so, in the same gesture that has revealed the objects in lines inspired by their own shapes, the flowers have ended up hidden-revealed through a few openings, and sprinkled with coded confetti.
All that remained was to add a few minerals and a ski resort to the set. Why skiing? Well, because it鈥檚 an excellent sport, which allows you to draw lines.
Recommended for you
Galerie Anne Barrault is delighted to present Jochen Gerner鈥檚 7th exhibition in its space.
The title 鈥淢onsieur Lin茅a鈥� is a reference to an Italian animated series broadcast on French television in the 70s. In it, viewers could see a character moving along a horizontal line whose only limit was the will of the cartoonist鈥檚 pencil. There will be no character in Jochen Gerner鈥檚 next exhibition, but lines, a tide of lines.
This would be the way to transform any object into something interesting. We鈥檇 start, for example, with a partly old-fashioned, partly blistered catalogue of furniture, a publication from the 1920s, but not a fine sample of today鈥檚 taste, with art deco desks or neat armchairs, but rather a collection of rustic tables with gnarled, carved legs, the heavy stuff as we say today. In this way, we鈥檇 be able to look at them differently, to see beyond their appearance. And soon, you鈥檇 be surprised to find a certain charm in these thick tops set on large spiral columns with their massive wooden balls like swollen knees. One would sense their unsuspected lightness and grace, long ignored by everyone, which would make one want to acquire them in their drawn form. A bulky, virtually immovable console would be unsuitable for your living room? You don鈥檛 need any grandmother鈥檚 household equipment, which moreover does not come from your grandmother鈥檚 house? No need to block your entrance with a dark wooden, dusty and massive counter? Well, it鈥檚 your lucky day: these models now exist in the artist鈥檚 revisited versions, slightly veiled to filter out their basic heaviness and each time reveal a new and unique face in interlacing and undulating patterns. Covered in shimmering layers, you鈥檒l still recognize them, but you鈥檒l be able to admire them in a transformed version.
This medium is visible and remains a mystery. You can observe the result at leisure, and the artist himself will be able to explain it to you 鈥� within the limits of his availability 鈥� but his intervention is decided between him and himself in a mixture of intuition and enthusiasm.
To decorate these enormous tables, we could have put bunches of peonies or of huge gladioli, or arranged dahlias in a chubby vase or a grand style bowl. But since the concrete supports have become Jochen Gerner鈥檚 works, we have had to proceed in the same way with the flowers. And so, in the same gesture that has revealed the objects in lines inspired by their own shapes, the flowers have ended up hidden-revealed through a few openings, and sprinkled with coded confetti.
All that remained was to add a few minerals and a ski resort to the set. Why skiing? Well, because it鈥檚 an excellent sport, which allows you to draw lines.
Artists on show
Contact details
