I was randomly walking around on Instagram when I came across the colorful works of Grégoire. But, going further than simply sharing his works, I also wanted to know what was hidden behind this style that was both minimalist, and with a palette of bright colors, often opposite. He kindly lent himself to the game of questions and answers, and here is the transcription of this very rich exchange. I hope you will find it as interesting as I do, and that you enjoy the world of Grégoire Murith!
I was randomly walking around on Instagram when I came across the colorful works of Grégoire. But, going further than simply sharing his works, I also wanted to know what was hidden behind this style that was both minimalist, and with a palette of bright colors, often opposite. He kindly lent himself to the game of questions and answers, and here is the transcription of this very rich exchange. I hope you will find it as interesting as I do, and that you enjoy the world of Grégoire Murith!
Who are you? Where are you from? How long have you been an artist? Do you live on it?
Hello, my name is Grégoire Murith, I am 47 years old and I come from Friborg, a city located between the French-speaking part and the German-speaking part of Switzerland. I have lived and worked in Geneva for 17 years now. In all humility, I think I have always been an artist, but I have only dared to be one and affirm it for 10 years. I like to believe that when I was young, as a very small child, I started to create by drawing and I never stopped since.
Unfortunately like too many artists, I do not live from my art, but I live from creation. Whether through teaching typography and graphics, some freelance mandates, the sale of a few rare paintings and other construction games... But art makes me live in the philosophical sense of the term!
How did the COVID period change your Art? Did it have any impact on your creation process?
This did not change my artistic work but it questions my reason for being, as we have seen that everything can end almost from one day to another. But this doubt about my work existed before and will exist after this. I am optimistic about the post-pandemic because human beings are capable of recovering from major crises, history has shown us that, they are very strong when back to the wall! We still have to be patient and show respect, to be good citizens, which is a good thing. That said, history has also shown us that humanity forgets very quickly. The massive arrival and rapid evolution of artificial intelligence would worry me more...
MINIMAL MICKEY (50x50 cm)
Do you have particular influences? Who made you want to do what you are doing today?
The influences are numerous and evolved over time: the painters Edvard Munch, Salvador Dalí and Vincent Van Gogh were certainly the very first and the strongest influences ; when I was a small kid the group Kiss fascinated me, then the graphic designer David Carson but also toys, like the Rubik's Cube, cartoons and superhero figurines, plushies too. These very expressive influences then became more constructed, abstract, minimalist and structured influences, maybe because of a "distortion" due to my studies in typography! Like for example Mondrian and the Dutch movement DeStijl, the Bauhaus, colorfield painting, Russian constructivists but above all the supremacist Malevitch and his icons to whom I have an admiration and unreserved love! The "black square on a white background" is for me, put in context, like an electronic sound in the Mozart era. Another dimension, timeless and visionary!
Today my influences remain multiple, such as atmospheres, repetitions and systematics of minimalism, electronic music, geometric abstraction, concrete painting, as well as the fathers of Swiss graphic design for their relationship to grid and space. It fascinates me, inspires me. I sometimes dare to believe that my work is part of continuity and in the "tradition" of Swiss geometric painting, in its different axes and registers of artistic and graphic reflections.
More precisely: what is the artistic research behind these geometric shapes? Has there been an evolution / influence linked to "pixel art"?
From my side, there is no objective research related to pixel art, although I understand that you could believe it! My artistic work is based on play and wants to be playful, constructed, geometric and minimalist, like playing with space, time, structure, movement, colors, basic forms, signs or even playing with modulations.
In my creations, I build, distribute and modulate the 2D space to shape a universe essentially made up of basic shapes, cheerful and lively flat colors. An expanding universe and visual language, revolving around the concept of assemblies and variations of elements, originally inspired by the principles of construction of typographic characters (systematic assemblies of abstract graphic signs).
I am looking to rediscover the freshness, the malice and sometimes the playfulness of childhood by creating (or recreating) a link between childhood and adulthood, by bringing life, joy, a smile to spectators, and this by working with different techniques such as paintings, collages and playful modular games, constructed, geometric and minimalist.
There is in my realizations like an obsession for the reduction and the simplification of the elements, as well formal as material. This is why I use the materials as well as the colors as they are, raw and pure. The chromatic range is limited and systematic, the forms used are the square, the rectangle, the circle and the triangle, the various supports and frames are from the trade and always in square format.
In my artistic approach to playful geometric abstraction, I would very simply say that I create by playing, and that I play by creating. Just like the child I was yesterday, and just like the artist I am today.
POUSSIN 2 / CANARY 2 / KÜCKEN 2COLLAGE. 210 X 210 CM (9 PARTS: 70 X 70 CM)
About the color topic: is there a search for contrast? It is often colors that are complementary. Is there a "design" work too? Balance?
The choice of colors is both intuitive and structured. For example in the "Jouets" series, which are a playful and colorful approach to a rigid grid of 4x4 squares allowing a modular "building game", a visual assembly of canvas into canvas, the chromatic range is systematic and unique, with 7 pure fluorescent colors and black. The composition, the arrangements and the distribution of colors in space is subjective and first worked digitally, then applied with a roller on canvas frames already primed. This simple geometry is meant to refer to childhood and "Lego" bricks, as well as the bright and cheerful colors. An ultra-shiny varnish gives them the feeling of a plastic toy. Thought and painted in the tradition of geometric painting, but with irony, humor and playfulness. So yes, there is a search for unity and balance, but more of that, there is a search over the minimalist abstract story and an evolutionary construction over time!
What is the role of "pop art" in your work? I am thinking of the Louis Vuitton motif, also of Pacman motifs, the very "supermarket typography" (which reminds me of the "Super Discount" cover from Etienne de Crécy's album). Also the symbol of SAMU.
"Pop Art" has no role! The Louis Vuitton is a somewhat "free" game of distal and proximal visual perception. I think that this is necessary to approach the reasons to understand the diversion :-D. You can see a "Kardashiannesque" criticism of the company if you want to, but that was not my intention! Since the sign is polysemous, it can therefore be interpreted in many ways. The other creations you are refering to are mainly posters made in a human and social context, the form responding to the substance, the form being in echo of the function. There are many influences, such as “homage” to Etienne de Crécy's Super Discount! Nice catch!
* (SAMU Symbol) - 50x50 cm
On contemporary art: what do you think of contemporary art? How do you place yourself in relation to it, and to the reflection it involves? For example, what did you think about "Banana" by Maurizio Cattelan?
In general, I like freedom, diversity and, often, the playful and subversive side of contemporary art. I like the idea that we can question ourselves and consider as contemporary art many forms of expression and artistic references / influences combined. I have the impression that the term contemporary art is a bit of a catch-all term, because of its wide variety. I still don't really know whar is the thinking involved, maybe I need a little more perspective to understand it. Now it is certain that if contemporary means current, then obviously my work is integrated into it. In any case, I would say that it clearly fits into today's geometric abstract painting!
When I saw the "Banana" I smiled well. Then I was surprised by the echo that this work received, without arousing my curiosity about the work of this artist. Maybe contemporary art questions the futility of an era, I don't know, time will say. :-D
Which artists do you like, or can you recommend following today?
They are numerous! But I highly and warmly recommend Paul Kremer, Peter Halley, Doug Wheeler, Eric Freeman, Gardar Eide Einarsson, Pierre Schwerzmann, Ioannis Lassithiotakis, Linus Bill, Adrien Horni, Niggli editions, MeMo editions as well as the following music labels MorrMusic, Rudimentary Records and Edition Wandelweiser Records.
Thank you very much to Grégoire for taking the time to answer these questions, and allowing us to know more about his creative process and his art. For more works, news and information, visit his website: www.gregoiremurith.com
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