Protected: Swimm – video

Dohyang Lee — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 13:02:45 +0000

Presque

Dohyang Lee — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 17:52:22 +0000

PRESQUE

With the support for the galleries / exhibition from the French National Center for Plastic Arts.

Extension until Saturday, March 7th 2020
24.01 – 07.03.2020

— « Reality is a false trompe l’oeil » —

In a world in which performance is the main goal and one has to be oneself or have only number tens in one’s team, Thomas Wattebled takes hold of the representational symbols of champions, winners and conquerors, and diverts them, in order to pay tribute to the “looser.” His work does not pretend to be political, although it approaches the contemporary issues of our western societies linked to the diktats of success, output, efficiency and results through the prism of competition – and pushes them towards “counter-performance.”

Each idea starts off as a spontaneous, subtle, humoristic drawing, before it is discreetly pinned in the studio. A series of drawings thanks to which the artist transcends his goal through the challenge of their realization, giving them shape with his gestures and action.

All the way. A simple idea becomes possible in a powerful gesture.
As a result of this effort, candour and naiveté are left behind. An escape route in order to go astray, to lead us astray.

In between poetry, “ A L M O S T ” poetry.
Almost nothing, Almost normal, Almost perfect,
Almost funny, Almost unsuccessful, Almost Ideal.

Idéal like these sculpted bodies pumping iron that inspired Thomas to create the “ Megamasses ”, composed of weights and protein. Glutamine, Creatine and Taurine are the stratagems used by the sculptor of his own body, in the same way that lightweight concrete allows the sculptor to “blow up” a form. These organic, voluminous modules would like to make us believe in the existence of a dense, crushing mass as a tribute to the athletic, muscular bodies of Antiquity. In vain. However, their lightweight aspect does not reduce their value. On the contrary. They become the iron of an artist, he who sculpts them, carries them, seeking perfect form.

Ridiculous romanticism.
The perfect body. The glorious body.
Romanticism of distress.

The sadness of round-abouts, which have become the symbol of contestation and rallying points for those whose heart is set on revolt, appealed to Thomas even before French protestors had taken hold of them, to abandon them later on. In 2015, the artist began a series of performances of which only photographs remain: Les Échoués (Those Aground). The titled referred to the hundreds of abandoned fishing boats deposited alone in the middle of certain round-abouts in Brittany, supposedly representative of the cultural heritage of a region attached to the history of navigation, once out-dated and useless, unfit for navigation, and whose destruction would be too expensive. Faced with the paradox of these out-dated, useless vessels disguised as heroes, the artist decided to index them and to majestically shine hazard lights, used by sailors in the event of tragedy and skippers in the event of victory, on them: “ The same object, same gestures, same passionate red light connects victory and distress. ”

Poetry and Nonsense.
Melancholic comic.

Chagrin (Grief) is the name given to a zinc fountain made by Thomas from which only the sound of running water can be heard, and whose preliminary drawing displays the serene face of a man imprisoned in this structure, as if he were soothed by the lapping sound. The same sound draws you towards the sculpture like the song of mermaids. Once you’re there, after following your ears, you come across the sparkling sculpture: an iron lady sitting enthroned, alone in the dark, theatrically, offering the sight of a caged bird. The beauty of this sculpture resides in the invisible and the inaudible, in imagination and its non-satisfaction.

Reality is a false trompe-l’oeil.
It comes so close, that it is almost equivalent to it.

Aurélie Faure
Translated by Emmelene Landon

printable version of the press release

Thomas Wattebled, Mégamasse 3, 2020, lightened white concrete, steel, Whey Strawberry proteins, colourants, Energy Drink aluminium can, stainless steel, pliers, 115 x 150 x 35 cm, unique piece
Mégamasse 4, 2020, lightened white concrete, steel, creatine, colourants, stainless steel, pliers, 75 x 200 x 35 cm, unique piece
Rien à ajouter, inkjet printing glued on 2mm Dibond, oak frame, 70 x 100 cm (printing), 74 x 104 x 3,5 cm (with frame), edition of 3 + 2 AP.
Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Rien à ajouter, 2019, inkjet printing glued on 2mm Dibond, oak frame, 70 x 100 cm (printing), 74 x 104 x 3,5 cm (with frame), edition of 3 + 2 AP. Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Mégamasse 1, 2019, lightened white concrete, steel, Whey Vanille proteins, colourants, stainless steel, pliers, 70 x 170 x 35 cm, unique piece. Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Mégamasse 2, 2019, lightened white concrete, steel, Whey Vanilla proteins, creatine, colourants, stainless steel, pliers, 160 x 175 x 35 cm, unique piece. Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Mégamasse 4, 2020, lightened white concrete, steel, creatine, colourants, stainless steel, pliers, 75 x 200 x 35 cm,
unique piece
Mégamasse 1, 2019, lightened white concrete, steel, Whey Vanille proteins, colourants, stainless steel, pliers, 70 x 170 x 35 cm, unique piece. Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Mégamasse 4, 2020, lightened white concrete, steel, creatine, colourants, stainless steel, pliers, 75 x 200 x 35 cm,
unique piece. Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Mégamasse 4, 2020, lightened white concrete, steel, creatine, colourants, stainless steel, pliers, 75 x 200 x 35 cm,
unique piece
Mégamasse 3, 2020, lightened white concrete, steel, Whey Strawberry proteins, colourants, Energy Drink aluminium can, stainless steel, pliers, 115 x 150 x 35 cm, unique piece. Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Ce mauvais trompe l’œil, 2020, installation, acrylic on hand painted wallpapier, variable dimensions, unique piece
Echoué (Le Tréport), 2015, digital printing on Mat Ultra Smooth Hahnemühle 305g paper, 63 x 43 x 3,5 cm (with frame), 59 x 49 cm (without frame), edition of 3 + 2 AP. With the support of the DRAC Région Centre Val de Loire. Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Echoué (Legé), 2015, digital printing on Mat Ultra Smooth Hahnemühle 305g paper, 63 x 43 x 3,5 cm (with frame), 59 x 49 cm (without frame), edition of 3 + 2 AP. With the support of the DRAC Région Centre Val de Loire.
Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Ce mauvais trompe l’œil, 2020, installation, acrylic on hand painted wallpapier, variable dimensions, unique piece
Vertige, 2019, drawing on papier, black ink, watercolor, graphite, wooden frame, glass, cardboard matte, 25 x 31 x 2 cm (with frame), 21,2 x 27,8 cm (drawing), unique piece. Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Shift, 2018, drawing on papier, black ink, wooden frame, glass, cardboard matte, 25 x 31 x 2 cm (with frame), 21,2 x 28 cm (drawing), unique piece. Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Podium, 2014, drawing on papier, black ink, wooden frame, glass, cardboard matte, 25 x 31 x 2 cm (with frame), 21 x 28 cm (drawing), unique piece. Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Echoué (Le Tréport), 2015, digital printing on Mat Ultra Smooth Hahnemühle 305g paper, 63 x 43 x 3,5 cm (with frame), 59 x 49 cm (without frame), edition of 3 + 2 AP. With the support of the DRAC Région Centre Val de Loire.
Photo © Aurélien Mole

Thomas Wattebled, Chagrin, 2019, waterproof fountain, zinc, lead, electric pump, water, remote control, 150 x 150 x 172 cm, unique piece.
Photo © Aurélien Mole

………………………………………………..

73-75 rue Quincampoix 75003 Paris France
Tuesday – Saturday 11 am – 1 pm // 2 pm – 7 pm
tel : +33 (0)1 42 77 05 97
www.galeriedohyanglee.com

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No place for losers

Dohyang Lee — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 15:16:45 +0000

Thomas Wattebled, No place for losers, 2014, video installation, video, 10’ on a flat screen hanged on a wall, wood bench, 50 x 150 x 50 cm.

Viewing upon request

L’expiration

Dohyang Lee — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 15:09:34 +0000

Thomas Wattebled, L’expiration, 2016, video in loop. Thanks to Luc Dufresne, accordionist, Le Pays Où le Ciel est Toujours Bleu,
Pithiviers City Hall, Elodie Bernard and Laetitia Jolivet.

Viewing upon request

Le temps reperdu

Dohyang Lee — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 15:08:24 +0000

Thomas Wattebled, 2015, video installation, color, sound, 16’, edition of 5 + 2 AP. View of the show, TIME OUT, Le Safran, Amiens, France, 2017.

Viewing upon request

C’est pas si loin l’horizon

Dohyang Lee — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 15:07:28 +0000

Thomas Wattebled, C’est pas si loin l’horizon, 2011, video format 16 : 9, color, sound, 2’, edition of 5 + 2 AP.

Viewing upon request

Swim

Dohyang Lee — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 15:06:35 +0000

Thomas Wattebled, Swim, 2011 (modified in 2015), video, black and white, 1’, edition of 5 + 2 AP.

Viewing upon request

WHO WIN

Dohyang Lee — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 15:06:33 +0000

Thomas Wattebled, WHO WIN, 2011, video format 16 : 9, color, sound, 1’ 46’’, edition of 5 + 2 AP.

Viewing upon request

Thomas Wattebled

Dohyang Lee — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 22:51:50 +0000

Thomas Wattebled

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Galerie Dohyang Lee » Thomas Wattebled

Protected: Swimm – video

Presque

No place for losers

L’expiration

Le temps reperdu

C’est pas si loin l’horizon

Swim

WHO WIN

Thomas Wattebled

Thomas Wattebled