Labau's Origamis at Denise René's
This thursday took place the opening of a Labau (*) exposition at Galerie Denise René rive gauche (Paris 7th). Our first impressions.
(At right, an image from Digitalarti)
Three new works show a transfer to folding "cardboards" of the kind of algorithmics they had shown last year with moving square boards for Mozaic Variation (see our post): a sensible combination of pseudo-random generators cast in the frame of aesthetic rules, not published. They don't seem to express other semantics than the Japanese origami techniques. Due to the contrast of whites and and strong tones on the rectos and versos or the boards, their slow movements generate powerful visual contrasts along with a sort of magic (abstract) life. An ascetic intent typical of these artists, confirmed by the dry titles of the works ("Origam1, 1/1 carré orange", and so forth. ).
One may remain a little dubitative about the perenniality of such works, with their complex and specific technology ("customized printed circuits, microcontrollers and electronics" and folding papers glued on wood). But it's certainly better than the moving squares of Mozaic Variation.
A fourth work presents a matrix of plates, white on one side, black on the other one, controlled by motors to show alternatively their rectos and versos and so to generate constanty changing patterns of large "pixels".
No doubt, these moving structures give pleasure and take to a serene contemplation of well tempered waves of structures.
We will join pictures as soon as we can get some. Videos would be more appropriate, since the moves and their tempo are of prime importance here. Anyway, the aesthetic pleasure comes for a large part from the highly precise and selected materialisation of the parts... then only a visit to the Gallery or, for the happy buyers, the living presence ot these works at home, can truly convey the feeling of such accomplishments.
Let's note that Denise René's has chosen their "rive gauche" space, and not their "espace marais", where they generally present their digital or kinetic artists. Can we see there a sign that digital art becomes more accepted in the traditional venues of contemporary art? If so, that would confirm the trend (strongly marked in 2013, as well in Paris than in Brussels or Basel) to bridge the divide which up to now kept the digital in a sort of peripheral ghetto. Such a move is well in the line with the traditions of this daring gallery, since their foundation in the 1950's.
Pierre Berger. Feb. 6, 2014.
(*) These artists word their name LAb[au]. In diccan, rather than use exotic typograhies and trademark symbols we use the names, logos and images in editorial fashion, to the benefit of typographic coherence as well as of the trademark owners, with no intention of infringement of trademarks of intellectual property.
DICCAN'S PARTNERS:
Paris ACM Siggraph, the French chapter of ACM Siggraph, worldwide non-profit organization of computer graphics.
Les Algoristes, an association of artists using their own algorithms in their work.
