Miguel Chevalier’s work articulates around categories among which the "Autres
natures" series initiated when he came back from Kyoto in 1994. It
gathers digital representations of landscapes, plants and other flowers
that the book published by Monogragik and dedicated to the artist
presents. His last creations, called "Fractals Flowers", recently took
roots at the Tarasiève gallery and in front of the Mairie du 4ème in
Paris as well as in Enghien-Les-Bains.
Seeds
I remember the plant exhibited by Numeriscausa at the Biche de Bere
space during the Natural / Digital exhibition in 2005. Did it come
from seed n°1, 11 or 16? It doesn’t matter! It was slowly oscillating,
within the plasma screen vertically reversed for the occasion, before I
came in contact with it. Its saturated colours going from red to orange
were enough to betray its artificial origin. The most difficult thing
was for me to extract from it as it so perfectly reacted to my moves
with its oscillatory movements.
Sub-Natures
Miguel Chevalier multiplies algorithmic seeds by selecting them just
like a painter chooses its pigments. He then obtains virtual gardens
that sometimes become outrageous. Video plants that are shown at the
Daejon museum in Korea, are more than 8 meter high. This way, they
appear to us as components of a supernatural gigantic vegetable coat
adjusted to our every moves. At Auvers-sur-Oise, the artist goes
further and invests the ground of a luxuriant vegetation that spreads
on our path.
RGB Land
It is a completely different show that Miguel Chevalier offers to the
Pittsburgh Woodstreet Gallery visitors. There is no trace of vegetation
whatsoever within the huge landscape that endlessly unfolds under their
eyes. The red, green and blue shades that cover this desert area remind
us once again of the artificiality of a nature calculated by machines
in its every detail. Because all these water, sand or rock particles,
in these infinite territories, are only the results of few computations
in which randomness has its place.
Fractal Flowers
After having created so many plants, it seems natural that Miguel
Chevalier finally dedicates himself to creating flowers. The "Fractal
Flowers" simply come to life, grow and die. But sometimes they take an
interest in us with the help of rotary movements recalling the
sunflower interest for the sun. Our body losing some of its attraction
strength as we get further, they then come back to the programme of an
autonomous life going from birth to death. Unless their stamens are
still attracted by the living.
Sculpture
Sometimes Miguel Chevalier decides to immortalize some of his flowers
“printing” them according to the process called stereolithography. He
then obtains fossil looking sculptures. By gathering these moments, the
artist allows us to have a better observation of the "Fractal Flowers"
to finally realise that the organisation of several 3D primitives in
the space is enough to express life in this savant relationship that it
entertains with the order as well as with the chaos.
Dominique Moulon
Photos : D.R.
For more information :
Miguel Chevalier : www.miguel-chevalier.com
Monografik Editions : www.monografik-editions.com
Galerie Tarasiève : www.suzanne-tarasieve.com
Galerie Numeriscausa : www.numeriscausa.com
Book:
Miguel Chevalier, Monografik Editions, 2008
Exhibitions :
Personal Exhibition at the Tarasiève galery until the 10th January 2009.
"Fractal Flowers" Installation on the forecourt of the Mairie du 4e in
Paris and on the et Saint-Joseph Church walls in Enghien-Les-Bains
until the 11th January 2009.
From: MCD 50
version Fr
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