Jean Marc Bustamante

JEAN MARC BUSTAMANTE (Toulouse, 1952).
"Antares", 2013.
Mixed media on methacrylate. Exemplary P/A.
Measurements: 194 x 149 cm.
This work by Jean-Marc Bustamante, created in 2013, presents an abstract composition combining graphic elements on methacrylate, one of the techniques that has characterized his work in recent years. The work is distinguished by the superimposition of organic and geometric shapes in contrasting tones, such as browns, lilacs and dark greens, on a background with gray vertical lines that suggest a dense and dynamic texture. The figures appear to be floating, creating a sense of depth and movement that transforms the two-dimensional space into an immersive visual experience. The use of Plexiglas as a support gives the work a translucent character, allowing light to interact with the surface and add another dimension to the work. This reflects Bustamante's inclination to explore the boundaries between painting, sculpture and physical space. The work is in the tradition of abstraction, but brings a contemporary approach that connects the pictorial with the objectual, challenging conventional definitions of artistic media.
Jean-Marc Bustamante is a leading French artist. A professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris, he directed the latter institution between September 2015 and 2018. Initially, Bustamante studied economics before venturing into the field of photography. He began his training alongside Denis Brihat, renowned for his still lifes, and then worked as an assistant to William Klein, a prominent photographer, in the mid-1970s. In 1978, he began creating large-format color photographs that he called "Tableaux". Since the 1980s, his work has been characterized by a constant dialogue between sculpture, painting and photography. In later years, the artist began to use Plexiglas as the main support for his work, exploring deeply the use of color. During the 2003 Venice Biennale, where he represented France, he transformed the French pavilion into a space that merged the real and the imaginary. In 2016, he was elected a member of the Academy of Fine Arts, occupying the chair in the Painting section.