1990 Lagoon Bernard Quentin

Between 1985 and 1990, Bernard Quentin embarked on a series of large-scale paintings where he skillfully incorporated words into vibrant, abstract compositions. One word, ‘lagune’ (lagoon), was prominently featured, appearing multiple times and seemingly floating within the artwork. With this series, the artist continued his exploration of written expression, using the word to evoke a concept within the viewer’s mind, bypassing the need for direct representation. What sets this particular artwork apart is Quentin’s innovative use of collage. Against a sandy background, a striking strip of yellow fabric emerges, creating a captivating visual contrast.

‘The brightest modernity aligns itself with the quest for origins. Familiar with Picasso, Quentin begins with a furious graphic style derived from Guernica. The decisive encounter with Klee in Berne, also significant for Michaux, liberates him from expressionism, bringing him back to the primal magic of signs and letters. He selectively embraces and transposes scholarly codes such as hieroglyphs, cuneiforms, ideograms, and alphabets, as well as archaic inscriptions and popular graffiti that inspire Tapies and Dubuffet. Quentin looks at medieval tapestries with their narrative legends.’

Jean Leymarie, Quentin: From Graffiti of 1947 to the Monuments of the 3rd Millennium.