Samson et Dalila

Corentin Canesson

7 Feb — 2 May 2015

At start, there was a title: Samson & Delilah. Obvious biblical reference, it evokes as much a history of classical painting that hackneyed theme of the love affairs that end badly, in general. Unlike the use of naming practice once it realized, Corentin Canesson had chosen the title before beginning his residency at Brest. It then becomes the starting point from which the exhibition is built, hypothesis that irrigates the work.

Aware that proposing a title at first is putting the cart before the horse, the artist pursues the same idea by choosing to realise a series of paintings in 120 x 176 cm format deployed in urban advertisement frames. Promotional posters as well as unique pieces, they claim communication elements of the exhibition as pretexts for painting. As Monet in his time willingly abused his haystacks in all weather, Corentin Canesson arranges his "Samson & Dalila at Passerelle" through various pictorial themes. Each poster becomes the excuse to explore abstraction figures and styles.

Here we see a bit of Morris Louis, where a zest of De Kooning later a hint of Rebeyrolle, etc.
And it is, in fact, from this series that the entire exhibition emanates. His sophisticated exploration generates other works by feeding a pleasure to paint between the lines of his heroes. Corentin Canesson grew up in the 2000s seeking to build on the post-abstraction, relegating abstraction to the bygone century. It is clear that he takes this doxa down by claiming at the opposite the pursuit of adventure, without any attachment to the past but with the necessary critical distance. Corentin Canesson’s painting is build by given situations, in his studio, with a live model, in appropriation, in... [lire plus]

Dans le cadre des Chantiers-résidence, programme de soutien aux artistes émergents en Bretagne mené par Passerelle Centre d’art contemporain et Documents d’Artistes Bretagne.