Animal
Animal is a work that was first produced on paper which was then marouflaged, i.e. glued, onto a canvas frame. A significant gesture given the graffiti technique used by the artist, a practice that was still considered delinquent in the early 2000s, when this work was created. The transposition from paper, a fragile and prosaic medium, to canvas, the medium of great paintings par excellence, gives it a place in art history. The word “animal” is written simply in capital letters. The paint has run and the letters seem to be dripping with blood. The work denounces the violence perpetrated against animals by human beings. The title has a double meaning: the animal refers to the species we are making extinct, but in a metaphorical sense, the artist challenges us with this word, which becomes an insult, to make us aware of our behaviour.
Text written by Justine Grethen as part of the partnership between the École du Louvre and Lafayette Anticipations – Fonds de dotation Famille Moulin.
Exhibition
La Galerie des Galeries, Paris (France)
from 09 Oct to 06 Dec 2008