Galerie Maria Lund
BENTE SKJØTTGAARD
dans les nuages
Exposition
Arts plastiques
Galerie Maria Lund
•
Paris 03
➜
Entre ciel et terre, ou plus précisément entre nuages et boue, Bente Skjøttgaard oeuvre depuis un moment au-dessus de nos têtes et sous nos pieds.
Dans les nuages est la quatrième exposition de l’artiste à Paris. Elle est le fruit d’une recherche quasi-contradictoire pour fixer dans la terre cuite les qualités légères et éphémères des nuages. Coïncidence plutôt drôle, ce travail s’est développé parallèlement à la commande publique d’une oeuvre monumentale, Traces, où elle s’inspire des empreintes de sabots bovins que l’on peut encore observer dans le sol de l’axe historique Hærvejen, qui reliait autrefois les éleveurs danois aux marchés allemands.
L’intérêt de Bente Skjøttgaard pour les « hautes sphères » a débuté il y a deux ans, lors de sa première visite en Corée du Sud où elle découvre la tradition céramique du pays, notamment les céladons et les jarres de lune. Peu après, ses premiers nuages voient le jour, sortes de croissances où des structures de colombins s’entrelacent et s’élèvent au sommet de « troncs » très fins. La palette combine des blancs immaculés et des bleus de cobalt, rappelant la tradition porcelaine du bleu/blanc. Puis, rapidement, les nuages vont s’étaler horizontalement ou, au contraire, prendre des formes plus dynamiques, tournantes, sur le point de s’étendre et de poursuivre un flottement paresseux, ou parfois vif…
Un deuxième voyage au « pays du matin calme », en 2009, lui offre une étrange vision : des sphères à peine perceptibles semblent remplir l’air d’une soirée très brumeuse. Ces formes circulaires, tridimensionnelles et graphiques intègrent désormais ses constructions de nuages ; dans certaines sculptures, elles vont jusqu’à créer des structures organiques très libres, dans un enchaînement de rondeurs et de cavités. La recherche chromatique tend vers le psychédélique : Lucy in the sky n’en est pas si loin quand on contemple les bleus turquoises, les mauves et les variations de rose, les jaunes clairs et les verts acidulés qui se sont emparés des nuages. Tout le spectre céleste dans son incroyable diversité est représenté ici, par le jeu d’harmonies ou de contrastes forts créés par l’emploi d’oxydes de cuivre, de chrome et de stains.
Dans ces oeuvres, si les couleurs sont une réjouissance pour la rétine, les glaçures invitent aussi à toucher, voire à savourer… denses et mates, soyeuses, parfois écumeuses, elles recréent la matière dodue des nuages.
Tantôt de petites dimensions, accrochées ensemble pour former des champs de nuages (Cloud field), tantôt grandes solitaires, posées ou suspendues, ces sculptures reflètent le mélange de poésie, de démesure et d’humour qui caractérise l’univers de l’artiste. Bente Skjøttgaard est bien partie pour remplir l’espace de nuages, ces masses vaporeuses qui peuvent transporter loin le spectateur immobile.
La Galerie Maria Lund a présenté trois expositions (2004, 2006 et 2008) de Bente Skjøttgaard (née au Danemark en 1961) qui ont reçu un excellent accueil – autant par le public que par la presse (entre autres Art Press, Le Figaro, La Revue de la Céramique et du Verre) et les institutions.
Les deux premières expositions rendaient compte de l’évolution de son œuvre : de l’interrogation systématique des objets utilitaires traditionnels en grès à l’élaboration de formes où la fonction se perd totalement avec des références à l’organique, au végétal et à l’aquatique. La série Elements in white de 2008 a été un véritable tour de force qui a fait naître une vingtaine de sculptures de grande taille. Partant d’une recherche sur les origines géologiques de la céramique et d’une expérimentation sur la couleur blanche et les variations de textures, Bente Skjøttgaard a créé des fragments de paysages et de mouvements de masses. Deux de ces sculptures ont rejoint le Fond national d’art contemporain, Paris et le V&A, Londres.
L’œuvre de l’artiste est également représentée au Musée National de la Céramique, Sèvres, ainsi que dans nombre de collections publiques dans le nord de l’Europe.
Bente Skjøttgaard expose régulièrement en Europe, aux Etats-Unis ainsi qu’en Corée du Sud (Adventures of the Fire- World Contemporary Ceramics, 5ème Biennale de céramique, KIAF 2008, 2009 et 2010). En 2009, elle a participé à la Biennale de Chateauroux et en 2010, elle a été sélectionnée à la Biennale de Vallauris dans la section sculpture.
Complément d'information
BENTE SKJØTTGAARD - in the clouds
Between earth and sky, or, more specifically between clouds and mud, for a while now, Bente Skjøttgaard has been working both above our heads and below our feet.
In the clouds is her fourth exhibition in Paris. It is the fruit of an almost contradictory attempt to materialise in clay the light and ephemeral qualities of clouds. Funny coincidence, as it was developed parallel to a public commission for a monumental piece, Traces, where she is inspired by the imprints of bovine hooves still visible in the ground of the historic axis Hærvejen, which formerly connected the Danish breeders to the German markets.
Bente Skjøttgaard’s interest for the ‘higher spheres’ began two years ago, during her first visit to South Korea where she discovered the country’s ceramic tradition, notably the celadon and moon jars. Soon after, her first clouds were born, sort of growths where interlaced columbine structures rise above very fine ‘trunks’. The palette combines immaculate whites and cobalt blues, with reference to the blue/white porcelain tradition. Rapidly, the clouds spread horizontally or, on the contrary, become more dynamic, rotating, on the verge of expanding to form lazy floats, or sometimes vivid…
A second voyage to the “land of the calm mornings” in 2009, brings a strange vision to her: barely perceptible spheres seem to fill the air of a hazy evening. These circular, three dimensional and graphical forms join, from then onwards, the cloud constructions; in certain sculptures, they even create very free organic structures in a sequence of circulars and cavities. The chromatic research tends towards the psychedelic: Lucy in the sky is not so distant when one contemplates the turquoise blues, the mauves and pink variations, the light yellows and acid greens which have seized the clouds. The whole celestial spectrum in its incredible diversity is represented here, either harmoniously or with strong contrasts created through the use of copper oxides, chrome or stains.
In these works, if the colours bring joy to the retina, the glazing also invites the touch, even the savouring…dense and mat, silky, occasionally foamy, they recreate the plump texture of clouds.
Sometimes of small format, hanging together to form cloud fields, sometimes tall, solitary, planted or suspended, these sculptures reflect the mix of poetry, of excess and humour which characterises the artists’ universe. Bente Skjøttgaard is well on the way to filling the space with clouds, vaporous masses which can transport the immobile spectator far away.
Galerie Maria Lund has presented three exhibitions (2004, 2006 and 2008) by Bente Skjøttgaard (born in Denmark in 1961) which have received an excellent welcome – as much by the public as by the press (amongst others: Art Press, Le Figaro, La Revue de la Céramique et du Verre) and the institutions.
The first two exhibitions rendered an account of the evolution of her work: the systematic interrogation of traditional functional objects in clay to the elaboration of forms where function is totally lost in references to the organic, the botanical or the aquatic. The series Elements in white from 2008 was a real tour de force where twenty or so large format sculptures were born. Going from research on the geological origins of ceramics and experimentation of the colour white along with texture variations, Bente Skjøttgaard created fragments of landscape and mass movements. Two of these sculptures were publicly acquired, joining the Fond national d’art contemporain, Paris and the V&A, London. The artists’ work is equally represented at the Musée National de la Céramique, Sèvres, as well as in a number of public collections in Northern Europe.
Bente Skjøttgaard regularly exhibits in Europe, the United States as well as in South Korea (Adventures of the Fire- World Contemporary Ceramics, 5th Ceramic Biennale (2009), KIAF 2008, 2009 and 2010). In 2009, she participated in the Biennale de Chateauroux and in 2010 she was selected for the sculpture section in the Biennale de Vallauris.
Between earth and sky, or, more specifically between clouds and mud, for a while now, Bente Skjøttgaard has been working both above our heads and below our feet.
In the clouds is her fourth exhibition in Paris. It is the fruit of an almost contradictory attempt to materialise in clay the light and ephemeral qualities of clouds. Funny coincidence, as it was developed parallel to a public commission for a monumental piece, Traces, where she is inspired by the imprints of bovine hooves still visible in the ground of the historic axis Hærvejen, which formerly connected the Danish breeders to the German markets.
Bente Skjøttgaard’s interest for the ‘higher spheres’ began two years ago, during her first visit to South Korea where she discovered the country’s ceramic tradition, notably the celadon and moon jars. Soon after, her first clouds were born, sort of growths where interlaced columbine structures rise above very fine ‘trunks’. The palette combines immaculate whites and cobalt blues, with reference to the blue/white porcelain tradition. Rapidly, the clouds spread horizontally or, on the contrary, become more dynamic, rotating, on the verge of expanding to form lazy floats, or sometimes vivid…
A second voyage to the “land of the calm mornings” in 2009, brings a strange vision to her: barely perceptible spheres seem to fill the air of a hazy evening. These circular, three dimensional and graphical forms join, from then onwards, the cloud constructions; in certain sculptures, they even create very free organic structures in a sequence of circulars and cavities. The chromatic research tends towards the psychedelic: Lucy in the sky is not so distant when one contemplates the turquoise blues, the mauves and pink variations, the light yellows and acid greens which have seized the clouds. The whole celestial spectrum in its incredible diversity is represented here, either harmoniously or with strong contrasts created through the use of copper oxides, chrome or stains.
In these works, if the colours bring joy to the retina, the glazing also invites the touch, even the savouring…dense and mat, silky, occasionally foamy, they recreate the plump texture of clouds.
Sometimes of small format, hanging together to form cloud fields, sometimes tall, solitary, planted or suspended, these sculptures reflect the mix of poetry, of excess and humour which characterises the artists’ universe. Bente Skjøttgaard is well on the way to filling the space with clouds, vaporous masses which can transport the immobile spectator far away.
Galerie Maria Lund has presented three exhibitions (2004, 2006 and 2008) by Bente Skjøttgaard (born in Denmark in 1961) which have received an excellent welcome – as much by the public as by the press (amongst others: Art Press, Le Figaro, La Revue de la Céramique et du Verre) and the institutions.
The first two exhibitions rendered an account of the evolution of her work: the systematic interrogation of traditional functional objects in clay to the elaboration of forms where function is totally lost in references to the organic, the botanical or the aquatic. The series Elements in white from 2008 was a real tour de force where twenty or so large format sculptures were born. Going from research on the geological origins of ceramics and experimentation of the colour white along with texture variations, Bente Skjøttgaard created fragments of landscape and mass movements. Two of these sculptures were publicly acquired, joining the Fond national d’art contemporain, Paris and the V&A, London. The artists’ work is equally represented at the Musée National de la Céramique, Sèvres, as well as in a number of public collections in Northern Europe.
Bente Skjøttgaard regularly exhibits in Europe, the United States as well as in South Korea (Adventures of the Fire- World Contemporary Ceramics, 5th Ceramic Biennale (2009), KIAF 2008, 2009 and 2010). In 2009, she participated in the Biennale de Chateauroux and in 2010 she was selected for the sculpture section in the Biennale de Vallauris.
Autres artistes présentés
BENTE SKJØTTGAARD
Horaires
mardi - samedi 12h-19h
Accès mobilité réduite
Oui
Comment s'y rendre
M°1 - St Paul
Dernière mise à jour le 13 octobre 2022