Armand Jalut: Between Absurdity and Eroticism

Armand Jalut (born 1976, lives in Paris) is a French artist who uses painting as part of a broader iconographic research, cultivating ambiguity and paradox. He collects images—photographing objects, patterns, fashion accessories, posters, magazines, and internet visuals—which he digitizes via scanner to create collages that become paintings. His subjects include lingerie, flowers, animals, everyday refuse, sofas, and junk food. Jalut admires Claes Oldenburg, Fischli & Weiss, Francis Picabia, Hans Bellmer, and James Rosenquist. He deliberately sullies the overly pretty, using stains and incongruity to extract graphic potential. His works often feature frontal compositions, tight framing, bright colors, and varied textures. He produces short series: animal portraits (2008), Canapé (2010) with sexually explicit upholstery, and Alain Patrick (2011) based on ties from Barbès, Paris. The series Rêveries insulaires (2012) depicts female legs in stockings in Hollywood-like landscapes. In late 2012, he completed a residency in Los Angeles, where he researched the erotic identity of the city and collected posters from American Apparel. His recent paintings are inspired by this immersion. Jalut was featured in the group exhibition Dynasty (2012) at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris and Palais de Tokyo, and has shown at Galerie Michel Rein, Paris, and Creux de l'enfer, Thiers. He has also exhibited at Perm Museum of Contemporary Art, Russia, and other venues.