His objects, sculptures and installations stand in the tradition of Ready-Mades but reveal a critical handling of apparently complex mechanisms transforming everyday objects into objects of art. Effortless, light-hearted and not without a sense of humour he presents his pianos, cars and refrigerators overpainted with thick layers of acrylic paint. Accentuated brush strokes reveal what is not just lapidary paint but that we are dealing here with an artistic sublimation. Combining different everyday objects and putting them onto a pedestal, Lavier highlights their formal aspects as well as their aesthetic components which are not retrieved during their everyday usage.
Bertrand Lavier’s work questions fundamental issues regarding the world of art. He scrutinises artistic ways of expression as well as possibilities of interpretation, the role of the artist, function and message of the art work as well as their transformation into an object of art by "aesthetisation" of everyday objects.
In the exhibition at the Kewenig Galerie the French artist presents new neon works of which he says: "(...) I am reviving painting from the tube, using neon tubes (...)". Frank Stella's paintings of the 1960s are used as direct models for the neon construction.
The exhibition title "Starlight" (Stella = ital. star) refers in an ambiguous way to its master. Just as in Stella's work coloured and white stripes- here neon tubes- alternate whereby the colours radiate exceptionally bright into the room.
As light objects and because of their materiality Lavier's works are self-contained and unfold their power even without knowing Stella's paintings. Their line follows that of a painting and has little in common with symbolic neon advertising.
