Louis Vuitton is proud to present a solo exhibition An Honest Statement at Espace Louis Vuitton Hong Kong featuring paintings by the America- based French artist Jules de Balincourt.
“How can I just transfer this chaos into my paintings and find inner peace in me......”
- Jules de Balincourt
In the latter half of 20th century, painting as a medium has defiantly withstood itself against new forms of mediums such as photography, video, and installation for over half a century. It was also the period that gave rise to many masters such as Lucian Freud, Gerhard Richter, Anselm Kiefer, and others. However, in the 21st century, the in-depth and thorough explorations in composition, color, and materiality made by these masters, as well as the surge of new mediums brought on by technological advances in the visual art realm, have seemingly displaced and led all aspects of the once popular medium into an end.
Based in America, the France-born artist Jules De Balincourt uses his own distinctive visual language in creating new meanings for the painting medium. In the face of the current unstable global situation that demands immediate responses, and the ever-changing trends of new mediums, it seems that the many forms of expression related to painting such as Expressionism, Impressionism, Figuration, and Abstraction are utterly lost in portraying the world today. As a new generation contemporary artist, Balincourt utilizes abstract visual language and direct societal subject matter in creating diversified visuals of content and space in his works. At the same time, embedded with a contemporary view, the themes presented are able to evoke an intricate connection with the viewers, allowing them to immerse freely within. For example, often times different imaginations and interpretations would go on in the artist’s mind while he is in the process of creating a work. When illustrating a sport stadium, scenes of sport competitions, images of a hastily set-up refugee asylum or an arena to be under terrorist attack would appear as compositions in his thoughts. Through the combination of the real and abstract, Balincourt’s works expand the viewer’s imaginary realm into unlimited possibilities; breaking through the siege made on painting expression by the on-screen alterations in new mediums.
Louis Vuitton is proud to invite new generation artist Balincourt in collaboration with the exhibition. At the same time, Louis Vuitton the 150-year luxury brand continues to break through and innovate across boundaries at all times.
The “An Honest Statement” Exhibition opens on 15 may and continues until 9 Sept 2012.
