Fabien Castanier continues to introduce Parisian artists to Los Angeles, this time L’Atlas and Thomas Canto will be exhibiting together in “Parallels” this week. We got a preview of the work that will be on display and although initially abstract there is more intricate concepts behind the aesthetics. The minimal palette used by both artists is one of the Parallels alluded to in the title, yet each artist brings their own distinct body of work. L’Atlas at first glimpse references grids and modernism. When you are able to familiarize yourself with his work you find out the pieces are letter based and influenced by his history as a graffiti artist. Thomas Canto’s work has a different influence yet a Parallel execution. Influenced by architecture and the city Canto breaks down his environment through linear deconstruction. The added textural aspect of his work creates a 3dimensional element that further mimics the real environment of urban architecture. Both artists will be exhibiting new work made specifically for the show. We recommend if you are in Los Angeles make the trip to the opening.
GF
FABIEN CASTANIER GALLERY PRESENTS
“PARALLELS” L’ATLAS + THOMAS CANTO
September 21 – October 20, 2013 Opening Reception | Saturday, September 21st 7-10pm
This exhibition brings together two French artists whose aesthetics draw from their mastery of geometry in space. Both L’Atlas and Canto have developed a keen sense of spatial awareness through street art, and have taken their inspirations to transcendent levels. The artists examine the intersection between abstraction and precise patterning, expressing their ideas with geometric forms through paintings and
installations for their first exhibition in Los Angeles.
In L’Atlas’s pictorial universe, every letter is considered a shape and every shape a letter. Greatly inspired by typography and calligraphy, L’Atlas uses abstraction to preserve the comprehension of the word whilst altering its proportions. His “writing” is constantly balanced between the legible and the illegible, the concrete and the abstract, the particular and the universal. All of his pieces in this exhibition contain the word Atlas, which acts not only as an artist’s signature, but also as a reference to the mapping of our urban geographical world.
Thomas Canto transposes his personal vision of his environment onto canvas. He presents the depth of the urban landscape with a seemingly infinite number of levels and dimensions. He maps out futuristic cities and unreal architectures, defining unknown topographies within the boundaries of his paintings. Fascinated with pure aesthetics and precision, Canto’s patience and meticulousness give an almost industrial aspect to his treatment of modern architecture.
