Jun 13, 2020
Pierre Guyotat @ Xavier Hufkens
Pierre Guyotat died this year in February. Before I really became familiar with Guyotat and his work as an author, I read his 2010 interview with Purple Magazine. I was fascinated by his struggle to be a poet or painter as a young man.
The 60 pencil, gouache, water color drawings on view are physical. The deliberate colors on paper add naturalness to the figures and scenes depicted. Guyotat is known for shocking sexual imagery in his writing. He looks directly. His 1970 novel, Eden Eden Eden was censored in France for its extremeness. He masturbated while he wrote. An exercise that almost cost his life in 1979, after he fell into a coma.
I don’t think every artist working today needs to be a provocateur. Young artists don’t need that example. Working and making personal, thoughtful, cool shit is provocative. Success is controversial. Making money is subversive. Xavier Hufkens is an internationally top ranked contemporary art gallery located in Belgium. Tracey Emin, Jack Pierson, Sterling Ruby, Katherine Bernhardt, George Condo are artists working today I like that also had solo shows with the gallery. These artists work with love, risk, and sell art. They are tremendous and engage with art history, myth, legend, and a demanding audience.
Everyone has an expectation. Keep making things. Let the contribution be good or bad. Mature and grow as artists and humans. Nurture a fulfilling career. To this generation of artists, that’s radical.
Xavier Hufkens
