Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Renaud Delorme’s Unconventional Portraits of Modern Day Celebrities

French artist Renaud Delorme's portraits lie somewhere between Pop Art, computer graphics and recycling. His mosaic-like images are made using an array of unconventional materials and found objects that he collects; everything from fabric, bottle caps, shampoo bottles, computer chips, film reels, and even tennis balls are all clustered together to recreate the intricacies of his subjects' likeness. In the tradition of Pop artists like Andy Warhol, Delorme's favorite subjects are classic and modern day celebrities from Marylin Monroe to supermodel Kate Moss, though it's not their fame that concerns him the most.

French artist Renaud Delorme’s portraits lie somewhere between Pop Art, computer graphics and recycling. His mosaic-like images are made using an array of unconventional materials and found objects that he collects; everything from fabric, bottle caps, shampoo bottles, computer chips, film reels, and even tennis balls are all clustered together to recreate the intricacies of his subjects’ likeness. In the tradition of Pop artists like Andy Warhol, Delorme’s favorite subjects are classic and modern day celebrities from Marylin Monroe to supermodel Kate Moss, though it’s not their fame that concerns him the most. To him, there is a beauty in things that are ephemeral or serve a short-lived purpose, which he places in the context of timeless images. His manner of applying materials that result from our mass consumption also imply our over-advertised popular culture, and celebrities are representative of the kinds of items that he uses.





Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
Tomokazu Matsuyama's (Vol 24) third exhibition at Wendi Norris, which opens on March 12th, is a monument to some of art history's most iconic subjects. The title "Come with me" represents the spirit of Matsuyama's inspirations, powerful leaders spanning ancient Greek heroes, samurai, to Napoleon. Napoleon has been of particular interest to the artist of late, the subject of his "Sky is the Limit" installation at Harbour City Gallery, Hong Kong last year.
We are what we eat- are we also what we play with? Australian artist Freya Jobbins asks questions about modern consumerism with her strange portraits made of doll parts. Her surrealist imagination has come up with busts of pop culture icons like Batman, Bart Simpson, and self portaits made of discarded Barbie legs. Jobbins' abstract way of seeing others is highly influenced by Italian Mannerist painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo. He famously painted images of gods and Roman emperors made up of objects like vegetables, fruits, and flowers. While very amusing, there's an incredible amount of detail and thought that goes into Jobbins' pieces.
On April 30th, Leontia Gallery in London will follow their previous group show "FLESH" (covered here) with "CONSUME". The show highlights accomplished urban artists whose works generally make a satirical message about consumerism- Schoony, Magnus Gjoen, Rococo Wonderland, Juan Barletta, Carne Griffiths, and Jean-Luc Almond. They simultaneously poke fun at society, while promoting change by confronting us with its lunacy and problems. Ironically, some of these artists have become celebrities among the celebrity-obsessed lifestyle they satirize.
Japanese artist Yasuto Sasada, just 27 years old, has already made a name for himself in the modern art and fashion world, through his collaborations with Yohji Yamamoto. Sasada has his own visual language that combines cultural traditions with the future. His detailed pen drawings of creatures mix motifs from modern technology and religion. Their black and white tonality, achieved with a thin 0.3mm pen, is harshly contrasted against bright pink, blue, and green backgrounds. He's created a new form of painting that juxtaposes old and contemporary ideas, taking us into an entirely new dimension.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List