Ben Vautier

"Ben", BEN VAUTIER (Naples, 1935).
"J'ose le rose", 2011.
Acrylic on canvas.
Signed in the lower right corner. Signed, dated and titled on the back.
Attached certificate signed by the artist.
Measurements: 100 x 81 cm.

Although Ben Vautier's work has taken different forms and ways of expression (performance, sculpture, painting...), it has been the text messages written with a characteristic calligraphy that have had the greatest resonance. They are text-based paintings that directly appeal to the viewer with forceful and provocative phrases such as "Death does not exist". "Jose le rose" written on a bright pink background could include, among other lectural levels, a nod to Duchamp and his pseudonym "Rose Sélavy", itself a play on words with "C'est la vie".

Considered one of the pioneers of conceptual art, he has been, in addition to being a visual artist, an agitator and art critic, interested in social vindication and multiculturalism. For him all art must mean a shock, produce an intense emotion or reaction. Born Benjamin Vautier in Naples, he moved with his mother to the south of France in 1949. In 1958, Vautier left his job in a bookstore and opened a stationery and record store. He ran Laboratory 32 (Le Magasin), from 1958 to 1973, creating a salon-like gathering place for people to discuss new ideas. During this time, Vautier met Yves Klein, John Cage and George Macunias, and became involved in the early stages of the Fluxus art movement. In the 1960s he would travel to New York where he would participate in the actions of the Fluxus group. His work would also be impregnated with conceptualism and minimalism, essential in his conception of art, which for him is not a purpose, but a vehicle, a form of communication. Vautier's Fluxus works revolved around defining art as a practice that unifies life, objects and philosophy. "What is culture? Culture is a fairy tale we have created. It can be manipulative," he explained. "The purpose of culture is to amuse both the poor and the rich." The artist continued to produce works about everyday life over the following decades, while working as an advocate for minority rights in France. He continues to live and work in Nice, France. Today, Vautier's works are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the George Pompidou Centre in Paris and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, among others.