Michel Gouéry's Contagious Ceramic Sculptures at Frac Auvergne
French artist Michel Gouéry (born 1959 in Rennes, lives and works in Paris) presents his exhibition "Sortie de Vortex" at Frac Auvergne in Clermont-Ferrand from June 9 to September 16, 2012, before moving to À cent mètres du centre du monde in Perpignan from October 12 to December 19. Gouéry's ceramic sculptures evoke alien life forms, combining references to Star Wars, biology, and science fiction. His method involves extensive molding and recycling of forms, akin to Auguste Rodin, using molds from toys and friends' faces. Originally a painter in the 1990s with a "mystico-abstract" style inspired by Art Brut figures Joseph Crépin and Augustin Lesage, Gouéry transitioned to sculpture via small stylized elephants influenced by Joseph Beuys and Salvador Dalí. His work oscillates between minimalism and baroque, citing influences like Cy Twombly, Robert Gober, Lucio Fontana, Jacob Epstein, Bruno Gironcoli, and Elmar Trenkwalder. The exhibition includes a catalogue with an interview by Catherine Millet.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Sortie de Vortex' runs June 9–September 16, 2012 at Frac Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand
- Second venue: À cent mètres du centre du monde, Perpignan, October 12–December 19, 2012
- Michel Gouéry was born in 1959 in Rennes, lives and works in Paris
- Sculptures are ceramic, often resembling alien creatures with orifices and inscriptions like 'Martien maigre' and 'Star Wax'
- Gouéry uses molding techniques, recycling forms from toys and friends' faces
- Earlier work as painter in 1990s featured spiral and geometric motifs with lacquer dots, influenced by Art Brut
- Transition to sculpture began with small stylized elephants inspired by Joseph Beuys and Salvador Dalí
- Influences include Cy Twombly, Robert Gober, Lucio Fontana, Jacob Epstein, Bruno Gironcoli, and Elmar Trenkwalder
Entities
Artists
- Michel Gouéry
- Auguste Rodin
- Joseph Crépin
- Augustin Lesage
- Joseph Beuys
- Salvador Dalí
- Claes Oldenburg
- Cy Twombly
- Robert Gober
- Lucio Fontana
- Jacob Epstein
- Bruno Gironcoli
- Elmar Trenkwalder
- Catherine Millet
- Richard Leydier
Institutions
- Frac Auvergne
- À cent mètres du centre du monde
- Mycroft Contemporary
- Galerie Deborah Zafman
- Galerie Anne de Villepoix
- Moments artistiques
- L'art dans les chapelles
- Villa Médicis
- artpress
Locations
- Clermont-Ferrand
- France
- Perpignan
- Paris
- Rennes
- Rome
- Italy
- Brittany
- Noyal-Pontivy
- Vallauris
- Brussels
- Belgium
Sources
- artpress —