Both hilarious and solemn, Jean-Marc Lacaze’s work feels like a slap to the back of the head. The artist exploits the qualities of multiple mediums and materials to create connections between codes and motifs borrowed from various cultures as well as from history and current events. This confluence gives rise to a singular and candid graphic language. The gap between the neatness of the aesthetic and the straightforward brutality of the subject matter generates a narrative tension that overbalances stances usually described as politically committed – when they in fact serve only those who take these stances. Jean-Marc Lacaze’s posture consists in calling people out and making room for debate with undeniable generosity, rather than being provocative out of a sheer taste for style. In this sense, his work constitutes a plastic form of dark humour that combines raw sensitivity and high intellectual standards to urge us to take a hard look at the constant “what the fuck” feeling in which the observation of human activity immerses us.

Marie Birot, 2020.

Translated by Lucy Pons | Biographical notes translated with the support of the Centre national des arts plastiques - Cnap.