About —
Mathieu Gaudet’s sculpture plunges visitors into the middle of a landscape. The work consists of eight beams arranged vertically, leaning against the walls of a confined space. Each beam’s surface is divided by a uniform layer of black paint covering the lower two-thirds. The paint has the effect of unifying the entire composition by creating a horizontal line encircling the space. The horizontal line also balances and stabilizes the beams, which appear unstable because of the sharp angles at which they lean against the wall.
Thanks to the medium (painting) and effect (the horizon), the flatness of black is not a representation of a particular landscape, but of the concept of landscape. Instead of relying on figurative representation, this novel minimalist work produces its powerful aesthetic impact by embodying an idea.
© Mathieu Gaudet, Parages, 2009.