Manon Steyaert is a painter of French origin, currently living and working in London; a graduate of Central St Martins (UAL), she has recently completed MA Fine Art at Chelsea College of Arts. Steyaert’s rapidly developing practice deals with the deconstruction of the language of painting: bringing painting off the wall, and off the stretcher. Recent projects include solo exhibitions ‘Becoming Habits’ at Studi0 Gallery (St Moritz), ‘Noticing Colour’ at Annika Nuttall Gallery (Aarhus), and a residency with PADA Studios, Portugal in 2020.
Over the past two years, Steyaert has created a new body of work to investigate methods of layering colour and light, manipulation of unusual materials, and the possibilities of animating the painted surface with physical movement of layers. Currently mixing and pouring silicon, and contrasting this with a host of other unconventional materials such as cellophane and fabrics, Steyaert creates her own hues and surfaces to wrap around canvas stretchers or freestanding structures, blurring the boundaries between painting and sculpture. The viewer’s gaze is trapped within these richly pigmented and reflective surfaces, in an aesthetic dialogue both physical and emotional.
Through a subtle poetry of colour, Manon Steyaert articulates the aspirations and appetites of our eyes and minds.
Can you tell me about your practice? How do you get started on a piece of work?
My practice is a constant push and pull between the mediums of painting and sculpture, creating works off and on the stretcher and taking on and off the wall. I am currently using silicone to wrap and dress the canvas frame, creating luscious and satisfying folds for the eye to engorge on. I never want a viewer to be bored when looking at my work, I want them to find themselves in a sort of limbo of perception, not knowing what it is they are gazing at, slowly fuelling their curiosity to observe in further detail. My practice used to be fast and based on a lot of trial and error, growing up very much exposed the unsustainability of this. As I gradually started using materials where there was no going back once made, I explored other mediums such as watercolour to envision pieces and colours. I tend to make small watercolour swatches and try and partner ones whom I think work best together, then draping the of silicone is never planned as it is very in the moment which I love and hate. It’s a tricky material to work with and I feel like I have created a fun dynamic between it and me, it can bend to my hand but changes its folds on thickness, it just keeps me curious about my own work which I find crucial.
Who are your biggest influences?
I would say Dan Graham opened my mind into the viewer and the perceptions in viewing artworks, his works may not be anything like mine but it’s the way of thinking that influenced me. I would also say that Anne Truitt was one of my first influences with shape and colour, I just love her columns, the sheer presence they bring into a space. More recently I have found Ethan Cook as an inspiration, I just adore his use of colour.
Can you talk about the role that object plays in your practice?
I’m naturally inquisitive about surfaces and didn’t find flat paintings interesting anymore, this drove me towards separating layers of colour through various materials. Creating depth within the work and allowing me to see beyond the first layer, and into the work itself. I feel that dimensional works invites the viewer to think of what’s behind or at least further than what they can directly see.
How important is material in your work?
I think materiality is very important in my work, it’s how I challenge the very nature of painting and sculpture, creating limbo between both mediums through materiality. Silicone is particularly interesting as it is heavy in connotations and I present it in a limbo state, by using it for complete opposite reasons as to why it was made. I am therefore able to create it from scratch and completely alter it.
What is your most important tool? Is there something you can’t live without in your studio?
I would say a form of speaker, I work alone and it’s great to have music going, it gets me in a sort of trance whilst mixing silicone.
Can you give us a book recommendation that has been important in your practice? And tell us why it’s important.
I really need to read more to be honest, it’s not my strongest suit and never gravitated towards it growing up. The one book which I found interesting enough to read all the way through would be “The Daybook” by Anne Truitt, I found it enlightening to read and opened my mind on how I could better connect to my practice as I felt quite removed from it personally at the start. It’s also a great insight to the small moments that can really influence a new work.
Finally, is there anything new coming up that you would like to tell us about?
I have a few shows coming up and a few already open:
Solo show “Noticing Colour” with Annika Nuttall Gallery in Denmark, opening April 30th 2021
I am currently in a group show “Hétérotopie” curated by Edoardo Monti at Bubble n’ Squeak in Brussles, Belgium, closes April 17th
I am currently in group show “Becoming Habits: Chapter 3” at Studi0 Gallery in Saint Moritz and closes on 10th of April
Solo Show in Athens, Greece, taking place in November, curated by Penny Nikalaou