Publication: C: International Contemporary Art
Publication Date: 22-SEP-06
Format: Online - approximately 1267 words
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Author: Schutze, Bernard
Article Excerpt
RESISTANCE has been the driving metaphor and conceptual core of Michel de Broin's artistic work since the mid-90s. A singular feature of the Quebecois artist's approach to this is the creation of physical systems that simultaneously generate a force and thwart it. As Bernard Lamarche has cogently demonstrated, de Broin does not work resistance as "an against" but as something that works "with" materials to uncover tensions and contradictions that would otherwise go unnoticed. (1) This way of working is by no means an inconsequential gesture, for the artist takes great care to reinject his micro-systems into the broader social field and the power relations operative within it.
In two recent works, Shared Propulsion Car (2005) and Keep on Smoking (2006), he applies this method to the domain of transportation, providing solutions to the petrol crisis that are pragmatically futile and symbolically fruitful. His approach is critical of our consumptive madness, yet it playfully flies in the face of conventional eco-wisdom. These works can be said to constitute a sort of petrol-crisis diptych that most fully reveals its force when they are viewed together.
In Shared Propulsion Car, a project created for...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.
More articles from
C: International Contemporary Art
Art market education: what lessons does the art market hold for the young artist? Sholem Krishtalka on reading Adam Lindemann's book, Collecting Contemporary, 22-DEC-07
Artefact Montreal 2007--urban sculptures: various artists, including: Mathieu Beausdjour, BGL, Diane Borsato, Aganetha Dyck, Stephen Schofield, and Martha Townsend, Montreal., 22-DEC-07
High Dispersion of Light #2., 22-DEC-07
Looking for additional articles?
Click here to search our database of over 3 million articles.
Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Click here to search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication name or publication date.
About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company analysis or best practices in managing your organization, Goliath can help you meet your business needs.
Our extensive business information databases empower business professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible, authoritative information they need to support their business goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting, company research or defining management best practices - Goliath is your leading source for accurate information. |
