Mr Sevellec @ Hey!

, 21 January 2012
news

La Halle St Pierre in the middle of Montmartre is still hosting for the next few weeks  that horribly pop exhibition which includes some of the most well-known contemporary pop artists in the world (many Frenchies of course). From the deformed characters of comic illustrator Ludovic Debeurme (who got pretty famous last year after his English-language debut with Lucille) to the Boschian and creepy nightmares from Mia Mäkilä.

Detail from Sevellec's butchery - photo by quadralectics
Detail from Sevellec's butchery - photo by quadralectics

Most of the artists in the exhibition have something in common: a passion for dark & distorted situations and deformed creatures. An art that French pop-art mag HEY! (co-organizer of the exhibition) is very keen to promote and talk about in their year-old publication.

From that long list of 63 artists (with our personal favorites Dave Cooper, Elzo Durt, Neozoon or Lin Shih-Yung) we’d suggest you pay special attention to the art of Ronan-Jim Sevellec (that is …  if you have the opportunity to visit the 7€ exhibition).

He only has a couple of his shoe-box miniature dollhouses (or more like slaughterhouses) @ La Halle St Pierre, but god they shine over the rest.

Butchery by Ronan-Jim Sevellec
Butchery by Ronan-Jim Sevellec

Despite his initial career in painting and modeling Ronan decided in his late 30s he had painted enough and “vanished” from the French cultural scene for around a decade; only to come back in 1989 with his shoe-box art exhibition @ Elbeuf (Normandy). His art became a hit in the mid-90s when Parisian gallery Soulié dedicated their  space @ 6ieme arrondissement for a solo exhibition, and many shows came short after. The Halle St Pierre did the same in 1998 & 2003 and now 2 of his most bloody (but also tempting) works have been selected for this pop show.

Detail from Resserre aux accessoires
Detail from Resserre aux accessoires

Still more than a month to visit the “expo” which has many ups & downs … maybe worth waiting until HSP open up their whole market hall to this Breton again?