Jean-Michel Gasquet and Jean-Patrice Rozand

Thanks to this constructive dialog with Rozand, Gasquet has developed a sculptural approach to painting. In his white canvases, diaphanous or pale gray shapes seem like totems emerging from the mist. These diamonds, half moons, and angles strangely recall the different facets displayed by Rozand’s sculpture as a function of viewing angle. His works initially create an impression of massiveness conveyed by their material—Corten steel—yet upon contemplation reveal a highly fragile and almost airy appearance due to their precarious balance.
In fact, a closer look at the bases of Rozand’s sculptures reveals that they are sometimes quite minimal, and even when the base is truly on the ground, the sculpture’s vertical thrust incorporates a slight imbalance that creates an impression of fragility. When a piece takes a fuller, denser form, the work often rests on just a few points, thus imparting a certain lightness. This is exactly what Gasquet has managed to translate onto a two-dimensional surface in a linear idiom that underscores the fragility of pale hues against white and accentuates a sense of airiness.
This exhibition therefore epitomizes the encounter and productive dialogue between a sculptor and a painter.