French artists, Mathieu Claudon and Etienne Bouet, have revealed a pre-production of their new project “Unconcrete Architects“. The connection between architecture and skateboarding was the starting point for their previous exhibition “Red XV” in 2017. This time, it’s the spirit of “watercolors” used by the designers and architects of the beginning of the 20th century, which serves as the project’s guidelines.
Based on photographic portraits, the legendary skateboarders of the ’80s, such as Steve Caballero, Christian Hosoi, Eric Dressen and Ray Barbee, with their predilection for architectural grounds, are considered “architects” of skateboarding. Both artists pay tribute to the idols of their youth and their historic spots.
Mathieu Claudon and Etienne Bouet play with the limits between contemporary art and urban art. On one hand, their approach is reminiscent of artists of the years 1920 to 1950. On the other hand, they use current techniques such as industrial painting, spray painting and posca. The important idea is to keep the effect of transparency of watercolors to preserve the grain of covered surfaces, letting the effects of the materials appear.
Eric Dressen / Venice curbs
BIOGRAPHIES
Mathieu CLAUDON (instagram : captainconso), is a parisian photographer.
Claudon specialized in skateboarding black and white pictures. Paris , Skate in the City book’s release confirms his talent thanks to these pictures of the French capital. Advocate photographer for Electric California (France), put forward by Lomography for his Petzval lens and contributing photographer for The Skateboard Mag, he goes on evolving and expanding his photographic world. Recently, he exhibits in the parisian Obey Pop up store, a dozen pictures of Shepard Fairey’s trip to Paris and additional works. With Red XV and now Unconcrete Architects, his work about perspectives and lines tends to create a simple, but powerful mood.
Etienne BOUET (EDA) is a french multiform, jack-of-all-trade and self-taught artist and skateboarder. After ten years working in music industry as a musician, producer, sound engineer, he contributes to various graphic projects (collages, creating logos and visuals). His interest is mainly focused on contemporary art, architecture and photography. Artists from different universes such as Roy Lichtenstein, Le Corbusier, Boris Tellegen or Tilt inspire him. Recently, he also made two books about skateboarding : Skateurs Ordinaires and Paris, Skate in the City (mixing Skateboard and parisian architecture).
Red XV exhibition is a turning point in his reflexions. For this contemporary art project, he starts painting red and black color fields on Mathieu Claudon’s pictures. Coloured works of the new series are the obvious result of this collaboration.
2017 Exhibition Du Skateboard à l’Art contemporain (Le Phare, Limoges)
2017 Exhibition Red XV (Espace Seven/ Galerie Jacques Devos, Paris)
2016 Exhibition Red XV béta (Les Ateliers, Paris)
2014 Exhibition pictures of the book “Paris, Skate in the City” (Eyrolles/Paris)
