FLAT OUT – Berlin
In FLAT OUT graphic artist Jean Jullien applies his signature style to three-dimensional sculpture in his series of six steel artworks now displayed at HVW8 Berlin.
The French graphic artist playfully explores the theme of laziness in soft brilliant-hued, life-sized figures that resolutely refuse to “do” much of anything. A keen observer of the everyday and current events, Jullien here focuses on moments of unadorned idleness that punctuate the hyperactivity of modern life. Jullien’s transition from paper to steel still bears traces of two-dimensionality as the large cut-outs evocatively lounge in various states of repose, resignation, or ennui. Their painted expressions are muted but conveyed with the emphatically thick, inky lines characteristic of the artist’s illustrations.
The title of FLAT OUT underlines both the at affect the figures and the surprising strength of the steel, a substantial medium for the presentation of seemingly unsubstantial and mundane moments. The weighty sculptural quality of the large figures is pronounced with an illusive lightness of paper-like delicacy. The softly bending sheets of metal, fabricated by Bram Kerkhofs, loom about the gallery space, unproductive yet sympathetic. The colorful figures invite the attention of the viewer both through and in spite of their inactivity; their private moments of stasis are on display. In spite of their languor, these gures pose the question of what laziness looks like in our world of modern technology, where productivity, amusement, idleness, visibility, and spectatorship often blur all too seamlessly together.
Before this exhibition at HVW8 Berlin, Jullien’s steel sculptures were exhibited by DIFT Gallery in the WATT event space in Ghent, Belgium and at the Nina Sagt Galerie in Düsseldorf.
Opening: April 27, 2017 7–10pm
Exhibition Runs: April 28 – June 17, 2017 Location: HVW8 Gallery, Linienstr. 161, Berlin
Gallery & Media Contact
HVW8 Gallery Berlin
Linienstraße 161 10115 Berlin
Jenne Grabowski,
Gallery Manager
+49(0)179 – 488 1004
jenne@hvw8.com
Supported by adidas Originals
About Jean Jullien
Jean Jullien is a French graphic artist educated in London’s Central Saint Martin’s and Royal College of Art. He animates 80s action and Dungeons & Dragons inspired fantasy videos for his brother Nico’s electronic project Niwouinwouin. He has illustrated for The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Tate, Pitchfork, The New York Times, SZ-Magazin (Süddeutsche Zeitungamong) among others. He currently lives and works in London.
