Etienne Viard is a French
contemporary sculptor whose work is rooted in minimalism and reduced
aesthetically to one simple element – the line. His line is fragmented, pulled
long, rounded, laid down flat or stood up straight, delicately fighting gravity
in a fragile equilibrium. The artist, inspired by the undulating forms of plants
and minerals, renders this organic movement in his sculptures, creating a
perpetual and precarious energetic tension. Often called a “Steel Sculptor”,
Viard uses Corten steel, highlighting the symbiosis that occurs between the
artwork and its environment through the superficial rust. He places the raw
material in a way that aims at the principle of conservation of mass, something
which generally applies to three-dimensional art. Whether displayed outdoors or
indoors, Viard’s works present a range of contradictory gestures, such as
protruding shapes or chinks, which are monumental signs redefining the space
around them and creating a dialogue between the sculpture and its environment.
This dialogue is enriched through the introduction of the zenithal light in
situ, consequently reinterpreting the variations of a répertoire today
considered as classic. Etienne Viard lives and works in Paris and the Vaucluse
(South of France).
Featured image: Etienne Viard - Torsion (petit).
Steel with black patina. 51 x 55 x 46 cm. 20 1/8 x 21 5/8 x 18 1/8 in. Photo
courtesy Echo Fine Arts