Estate of Alain Jacquet
Starting in the 1980s, Alain Jacquet seized on new robotic and computer technologies. He switched from mechanical to digital with a series of computer- generated works. The computing technology allowed him to reduce the Earth and other planets to flat surfaces, then perforate volumes (called Donuts) or elongate forms (called Sausages). Floating in interstellar space like buoys or mooring posts, these “male” and “female” forms could sometimes interlock sexually or arrange themselves in compositions echoing iconic works. Beyond being humorous, these canvases highlighted a primordial symbolism, open to the endless germination of signs and images.
Alain Jacquet offers his own interpretation of Bonjour Monsieur Courbet, painted in 1855 by Gustave Courbet. The original depicts the artist meeting his patron, Alfred Bruyas, along the road to Montpellier, accompanied by his servant and dog. This iconic work is also one of Courbet’s most popular, having been widely reproduced. It caused a scandal when exhibited at the World’s Fair, where it drew fierce criticism, with many viewing it as a “manifestation of monstrous pride.”
- Alain Jacquet - Camouflages et Trames, MAMAC, Nice, France, 2005
- Alain Jacquet Camouflages et trames, Guy Scarpetta, Gilbert Perlein, Ed. Musées de Nice, MAMAC, 2005, p.131
- Alain Jacquet, Hall, Le Palais des Congrès, Paris, 1999, p.3