Thomas Canto

Marouflaged print on wood, acrylic, nylon thread and plexiglass

H.71 x W.56 x D.15 cm

Bio

1979 Born in Vénissieux, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

1995 Makes his first murals. He approaches this practice through many techniques : collage, sculpture, oil painting, calligraphy, etc..

2003 Residence Flux Factory, NYC (États-Unis).

2007 Integrates the Gunther Sachs collection.

2015 Exhibits at the Mohammed VI Museum, Rabat (Morocco) and joins the collection of the K11 Foundation, Hong Kong (Hong Kong).

Today, Thomas Canto divides his time between Asia and Europe.

Libération 2016

Tribute to Niemeyer

By Thomas Canto (1979, France)

"I felt a sense of loss at the news of Oscar Niemeyer's death, like when someone close to you, who inspired you, dies. What else could he have done? Oscar Niemeyer claimed a strong connection with the work of artists. I am particularly touched by this, because my paintings and installations question the relationship between humans and architecture, which I consider to be an art form in its own right. It's true, I've never wandered around Brasilia, and I don't have an expert eye for the built environment. But I am fascinated by certain constructions, such as Zaha Hadid's very organic ones. What do we build, how do we think about our cities and our future, how do we live with architecture? These are the questions that run through my creations. The media object, bearer of history, is a new basis for my work. Usually, I don't create as an immediate or direct reaction to current events. I draw from my feelings, my memories, or inspire me from photographs taken during my travels. I am not a "message artist". At least not directly. Having painted in the street, I was confronted in a very direct way to the limits given to the freedom of expression. But I quickly turned to the studio and to abstract work, where this question appears in a less frontal way. The graphic aspect of the front page of Libération makes it a good playground. The photography is very beautiful, uncluttered. I have darkened the outline of the image with black acrylic, to better enhance the heart. I then positioned it in a Plexiglas box, where nylon threads are stretched. It seemed to make sense to reintroduce the third dimension. This revisited piece is totally in line with my approach, in terms of materials, techniques used, optical effects and volumes created. Plexiglas makes it possible to preserve the transparency, the luminosity of the work, while at the same time it brings a technical and cold aspect. This installation is a window open towards a horizon: a sunset and Niemeyer's work mixed with mine can be seen. It offers a new look at the architect's universe; a form of homage, in my own way. »

EN