DESIGN
THE PERTINENCE OF IMPERTINENCE
Always on the lookout for shock and novelty, self-taught French artist Ben Vautier has been overturning the rules of contemporary art for the past six decades with his insightful and provocative painted writings. Writer Y-JEAN MUN-DELSALLE finds out how the artist examines the issues ailing society while interrogating both its and his own ego in the process.
The art of Ben Vautier lies in his ability to seize with impertinence and authenticity the main issues ailing society. A born agitator, the 85-year-old embodies the role of the disruptive artist society simply can’t do without.
He observes, analyses and proposes his point of view through hand-painted texts that have become so familiar yet have not lost their relevance nor their ability to solicit a response, deconstruct our reality and challenge our habits. His epigrams are a kind of brushstroke, getting straight to the point, yet deeply profound.
Some of his writings in French translate to “No art without suffering”, “I’m waiting for glory”, “Art is a virus”, “Ben is art”, “Art doesn’t exist, everything is ego”, “Who
