Eclectic is the best word to describe D’Ge’s artistic influences and inspiration. He brings to his art real life experience with architecture, fashion design, decorating and event planning.
[Entertainment: The Arts]
Never has contemporary art been more contemporary
Cultural divides, global climate change and even forensic crime scene investigation…French artist Marc Hubert D’Ge truly has his finger on the pulse of contemporary society. Through his various forms of art, D’Ge explores universal themes not limited by time or place.
D’Ge, born in Aix en Province, France, is a world-renowned, multi-award winning artist. He has been recognized throughout Europe for his paintings, fashion designs and live performances. In 2006, he was bestowed with the great honor of exhibiting his paintings next to the works of Cezanne.
D’Ge first came to America in an effort to build a bridge between French and American cultures. At a time when foreign relations are strained, D’Ge believes that art can be a common language. One his current projects is a collaboration between Aix en Province and its sister city Coral Gables, Florida.
Titled “Lilly Rose,” the exhibit combines visual and audio elements which draw the viewer into the life and world of a fictitious murder victim named Lilly Rose. The character Lilly Rose is D’Ge’s own creation, based on his work “Mind the Gap.” Says D’Ge of the exhibit, “[The viewer] is requested to investigate the crime and to invent or construct Lilly Rose’s life – which should be different for each ‘detective.'”
D’Ge has never been afraid to buck convention. As D’Ge simply says, “I have nothing to prove to anybody.” Some of his earliest work was in the style of “Figuration libre,” which rejects classical rules of painting. Images from pop culture inspired the paintings and clothing D’Ge was designing during this time.
Innovative pieces he terms vertical installations are at the center of D’Ge’s present explorations. Vertical installations are framed canvasses that incorporate a variety of materials, media and three-dimensional elements. The finished product is a type of self-contained installation art.
Eclectic is the best word to describe D’Ge’s artistic influences and inspiration. He brings to his art real life experience with architecture, fashion design, decorating and event planning. These influences are evident in D’Ge’s inventive exhibitions.
Rather than simply hanging his work in a gallery, D’Ge creates full-on experiences. His art is experienced rather than just viewed. For instance, D’Ge exhibited his Le Combat (“The Fight”) series in a five-century old church called Sacred Heart, located in Aix en Province.
The effect is a stark contrast of old and new, light and dark that brings his work into full focus. “When you arrive at the old church, the atmosphere is dark and cold. You feel the energy,” says D’Ge of the viewer’s experience.
Though there is a large market for his work, D’Ge resists commercialism. He has sold hundreds of canvasses, but it is important to him that his work remains accessible to people of all ages and walks of life. None of the pieces in a collection are sold until people around the world have had the opportunity to view them. To that end, D’Ge’s exhibits are always free.
D’Ge’s work, though highly relevant to contemporary society, is not barefaced, unabashed social commentary. Rather, his artistic embodiments of timeless themes such as birth and death shed new light on current social struggles.
As one of D’Ge’s favorite quotes states, “Art is the writing of God. The artist is the messenger.” Perhaps it’s time we listen to what Marc Hubert D’Ge has to say.
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