Two Arcs of 151.5 and 186.5

Material

Acrylic on canvas; 129.5 cm

Dating

1977

About the artist

Bernar Venet had a religious upbringing, aspiring to become a missionary. With the support of a local artist, however, he became interested in painting and drawing at a young age. In 1958 he studied at the municipal art school in Nice. From then until 1963 he worked as a stage designer at the Nice Opera, at the same time immersing himself in painting, drawing and photography.
His work is inspired by Nouveau Réalisme and Minimalism. In 1971 he broke off his artistic activities to devote himself to theory, teaching art and art theory at the Sorbonne in Paris. Through the preoccupation with physics and mathematical phenomena he found the subjects that he would henceforth focus on in his work.
Eventually, Venet returned to his own creative work and produced paintings, wooden reliefs and steel sculptures. The steel sculptures reach heights from 30 cm to 20 m, pervading interior and exterior spaces as dynamic movements.