BERNAR VENET

With the certificate by the artist, May 2005.

Provenance: Directly purchased form the artist, since then private collection Switzerland.

The French conceptual artist Bernar Venet handles steel so brilliantly, that he manages to lend the heaviest and hardest of materials the most improbable form. The material he uses is invariably corten steel, like that used by Richard Serra: a weatherproof structural steel with either a shiny layer of rust, or an untreated anthracite-black surface. Most of his sculptures consist of sections of square beams of forged steel. Like rhythmic gymnastics ribbons, the steel beams swing forward in rings one into the other. His sculptures circle loosely, like a progression of acoustic rings, always somewhat counteracting the force of gravity. Sometimes the artist opts for closed circles or spirals, sometimes he cuts the beams abruptly. Some seem to be searching for balance while moving.
He began producing his monumental, linear metal works in the early 1980s. Among them, "Arcs", "Straight Lines" and "Indeterminate Lines" are among the best-known series. The variety of his works across a wide range of media means that his œuvre is very multifaceted: his series include drawings and paintings, as well as sculptures and installations.

As we can see in this work, Venet's forms are entirely liberated from purpose, function and any architectonic associations with steel sculpture. Using a strict formal language, he succeeds in creating a sculpture from a single motif, the line. The sweeping broken circles find their balance thanks to their cohesion and gravity. This sculpture, despite the five circles being interrupted, radiates strength and self-evidence.

The titles also follow a precise meaning: for example, '225.5° ARC x5' stands for the mathematical description of the composition of the work: the five arcs of equal length of this sculpture are bent at the same angle, 225.5° degrees. Since these arcs are offset from each other, their indeterminacy is brought to the fore. The work takes on an organic character, creating a feeling of rhythmic movement and fluidity.