Background
Bernar Venet was born on April 20, 1941, in Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, France. He is a son of Jean-Marie Venet, a school teacher and chemist, and Adeline Gilly.
Bernar Venet was born on April 20, 1941, in Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, France. He is a son of Jean-Marie Venet, a school teacher and chemist, and Adeline Gilly.
In his early years, with the support of a local artist, Bernar became interested in art. While studying at school, Bernar excelled in drawing and painting.
From 1955 to 1958, Bernar studied at Ecole Libre and Groupe Scolaire Paul Lapie. In 1958, he began to attend La Villa Thiole in Nice, where he studied for a year.
In 1959, at the beginning of his career, Bernar worked as a stage designer at Opera de Nice. At this time, Venet created highly stylized paintings. In 1961, he joined the French Army in Algeria and continued to serve till 1962. It was during his military service, he began to pave his way as an artist. During that period of time, Venet painted with tar, making his artworks with his feet in a gestural style. The result was black monochromatic paintings, which avoided all forms of action painting.
After military service, Bernar came back to Nice, where he based his studio and continued to investigate painting with tar, creating art with coal and photography. Around this time, he sculpted his first sculpture, "Coal Paile". In 1966, the artist traveled to New York City, where he was influenced by the Minimalist artwork he viewed in galleries. Some time later, Bernar came back to Nice, France, where he started to work on mono-semiotic works and diagrams. At that time, he produced "Graduation", a ballet performed on a vertical surface. Later, he decided to move to New York City permanently.
After working on Conceptual and Minimalist pieces, in 1971, Venet decided to cease his artistic work. During his break from art, Venet traveled throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. In 1974, he taught art and art theory in Sorbonne, France. At this time, he often lectured throughout Europe.
In 1976, the artist came back to New York City and began working on the first work from the series "Angles and Arcs". In 1979, he created a series of wood reliefs, entitling them "Arcs, Angels, Diagonals". During the late 1970's and early 1980's, Venet exhibited works, such as "Documenta VI" and "From Nature to Art". It was in 1984, that he began working as a sculptor at Atelier Marioni in France.
In 1988, Bernar was asked to help bring his ballet "Graduation" into production at the Paris Opera. It was exactly at that time, that he became interested in music. So, during the 1990's, Venet composed various musical compositions, including Resonance and Sound.
In 1996, Bernar acted as a master-in-residence at Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, United States. In 1998, the artist traveled to China on the invitation by the Mayor of Shanghai to participate in the Shanghai International Sculpture Symposium. In 1999, Venet installed a public sculpture in the city of Cologne, Germany, in honor of the G-8 Summit. In 2000, the artist presented his "Major Equations" series at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In 2012, Venet collaborated with the car manufacturer Bugatti to create a unique piece, which was debuted at the Rubell Family Collection at Art Basel Miami. Two years later, in 2014, Bernar established the Venet Foundation, which serves as a museum and archive of his oeuvre.
Currently, the artist divides his time between New York City and Le Muy, France. He continues to produce works in all media, including painting, music and sculptures, that are exhibited across the world.
85.5 Arc x 23
8 Acute Unequal Angles
253 Degree Arc
78.5" Arc x 13
11 Acute Unequal Angles
149.5˚ Arc x 10
9 Acute Unequal Angles 59 1/8 x 39 inches
Double lignes indéterminées
223.5° Arc x 10
Ligne Indéterminée
Vase
Chair
Indeterminate Line
7 angles in disorder
Doubles lignes indéterminées
Arc de 124,5°
Neuf Lignes Obliques
Venet says, that his sculptures are about how metal resists. He also claims, that his works are the test of strength — a battle between himself and the piece of metal.
Quotations: "My work is self-generated. Nothing around me serves as a particular inspiration. I work and I make discoveries while remaining open-minded to anything that might present a new possibility in the context of my work. This framework looks to enlarge its scope as a result of new formal and conceptual discoveries."
Physical Characteristics: As a young boy, Bernar was often sick with asthma.