Jean-Luc Moerman

Characterised by indefinable forms consisting of black lines around areas of flat bright colour, Jean-Luc Moerman's motifs betray a variety of influences: tags, graffiti (although the artist has never used spray cans) and the street universe, but also independent comics, Japanese manga, animated cartoons, science fiction, video games, fashion images, utopian and futurist design, custom cars etc. Sometimes the forms painted by Moerman seem to refer to evolutions in biotechnology (mutant cells, etc.), communication technology, virtual architecture, techno culture, etc. These references constantly pervading Moerman's work, coupled with the vitality of his colour palette, might explain why the first articles written about the artist placed him in a context of urban graffiti rather than in the history of western art. Yet today, a more careful analysis allows us to better understand the richness of Moerman's work. It produces a complex confrontation between the impressions of volume created by the drawing (the black lines) and the large, flat surfaces of colour. As the artist's career has progressed, particularly following a residency in Japan, the drawing has been amplified, creating a new formal universe of great variety and unexpected technical richness.

Pierre-Olivier Rollin