Dominique Gauthier's 'Contre-Raison' Series Uses Mirrors to Rethink Abstract Painting
The 'Contre-Raison' series by Dominique Gauthier incorporates a mirror on the left side of each canvas, prompting reflection on the future of abstract art. Since the 1980s, his work has focused on the distortion and amplification of elements such as spirals and organic shapes. Notable exhibitions include 'Chroniques du continuellement discontinu' at the Centre d'art contemporain in Pougues-les-Eaux (March 17–May 13, 2001) and 'Les Plis du présent, la Ronde du temps' in Montbéliard (April 6–June 11, 2001). Gauthier seeks to foster a dialogue between the artwork's location and its mirrored image. Additional shows are 'Transhumaneres' at Atelier Cantoisel, Joigny (March 31–May 20) and 'Aller au plus court, longuement' at Centre rhénan d'art contemporain, Altkirch (April 7–May 27).
Key facts
- Dominique Gauthier's 'Contre-Raison' series includes a mirror on the left side of each painting.
- The mirror creates a mise en abyme reflecting on the future of abstract painting.
- Gauthier's work since the 1980s uses exaggeration and displacement of motifs like spirals and organic lines.
- Exhibition 'Chroniques du continuellement discontinu' at Centre d'art contemporain, Pougues-les-Eaux, March 17–May 13, 2001.
- Exhibition 'Les Plis du présent, la Ronde du temps' at Montbéliard, April 6–June 11, 2001.
- The mirror is intended to avoid narcissistic reflection and impose the painting's own dynamic.
- The 'Hostinato' series uses a string-and-nail device and serves as a structural matrix.
- Gauthier references Pollock and 17th-century Baroque, aiming to 'recartesianize' Surrealist heritage.
Entities
Artists
- Dominique Gauthier
- Jackson Pollock
Institutions
- Centre d'art contemporain, Pougues-les-Eaux
- Atelier Cantoisel, Joigny
- Centre rhénan d'art contemporain, Altkirch
- Centre régional d'art contemporain Languedoc Roussillon, Sète
- Musée d'art moderne, Céret
- Galerie les Filles du Calvaire, Paris
Locations
- Pougues-les-Eaux
- France
- Joigny
- Altkirch
- Sète
- Céret
- Paris
- Montbéliard
Sources
- artpress —