Artwork information

Category

Sculpture

Material

Wood and poster

Date

2017 - 2023

Dimensions

90 cm x 57 cm

Signature

Signed

Proof(s) of authenticity

Work sold with a certificate of authenticity issued by the artist.

State of conservation

Very good

Location

Paris, France

Description

Work from the series "Taquiner la vie" by Benoît Dutour. It pays tribute to Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring.

It should be noted that each small square in this work can be moved to the left or right, up or down, as in a traditional game of "Taquin".

Personal anecdote from the artist:
"As a child, I went to the Louvre with my grandfather. I was very excited to see the 'Mona Lisa' in real life. But there were so many people there that I had trouble getting close. She was so small, so far away, so protected, so inaccessible. I was very disappointed! But this experience was inspiring. Through this series "Teasing Life", I desecrate the icons of art history and invite the viewer to play with them."

Provenance

Artist's Studio

The artist

Painter
Sculptor

Benoît Dutour

Emerging artistEmerging artist
Painter
Sculptor
Born in 1967
France

Bio

"Create to feel alive. To play so as not to take oneself too seriously. Exhibit to provoke a dialogue.". These are the three pillars on which Benoît Dutour builds his artistic work.

Inspired in particular by the new realists, the humour of Magritte and the conceptual work of Duchamp, Benoît uses a wide range of techniques and mediums to offer multiple points of entry into his world. 

Multidisciplinary, Benoît Dutour approaches fields as varied as painting, sculpture, photography, video, neon and installation. Attracted by complex processes, he collaborates with other artists, companies or brands such as CERN, Galeries Lafayette, SMALTO, etc. 

When one takes the time to dive into Benoît Dutour's universe, one is initially amused/amused, and then, in a second phase, one perceives the deeper subject that he is trying to convey to us.

Wishing to make his reflections accessible to as many people as possible, he tries to reduce the distance between the viewer and the work as much as possible, for example by inserting the explanation into the painting (series "traces de vie") or by inviting the viewer to literally touch or play with the work in order to better appropriate it (series "taquiner la vie" and "en vie de larmes").

Questioning above all. Benoît Dutour's approach consists in providing answers to universal questions that we all ask ourselves: What is the meaning of our brief time on earth? The influence of art history on contemporary art? Art and money? Our relationship with the passing of time? To the fragility of life? 

For example, the fragility of life is highlighted in the series "En vie de larmes": inclusions in the form of tears. The passing of time is tamed through the series "Traces de vie". Finally, the relationship to art history is addressed in the series "Taquiner la vie".

The way in which Benoît Dutour approaches these themes brings depth and harmony to the whole of his artistic approach.

Other artworks by Benoît Dutour

See all artworks by Benoît Dutour