2 Arcs x 4 230.5 Degree Arc x 5
By Bernar Venet
Category: Sculpture
About
These sculptures by Bernar Venet are precisely as described by the title: beams of steel rolled into 230.5 degree arcs. Throughout his career, Venet works to define art and to separate himself from the idea that art is the expression of the artist. For him the most important element in the work of art is the concept or idea involved. In his recent work, Venet creates works based on mathematical graphs and formulas. In mathematics, Venet discovered a language of symbols that satisfied his desire to create art that is non-expressive and not subject to personal interpretation.
Courtesy of The Gateway Foundation.
Dimensions: 162″ x 162″ x 60″
Year completed: 1999
Material: Steel
Owner: Gateway Foundation
About the artist:
Bernar Venet
b. 1941
The work of Bernar Venet is mathematically inspired. He aligns himself with the theory of the French semiologist Jacques Bertin, who breaks down all signs into three categories. The first, called the pansemic, is made up of non-figurative imagery like music; the second, called the polysemic, is categorized by words and figurative imagery; the third, called the monosemic, is composed of mathematic and graphic imagery. Venet believes that the art world has focused almost entirely on figurative and non-figurative signs and has ignored mathematical ones. Thus, Venet’s art is an exploration of this unexplored category. Furthermore, his belief is absolute as he has claimed that art must become “solely a place of a manifestation of a code.”
