Bernar Venet

Bernar Venet (b. 1941) is a French conceptual artist who has exhibited his works in various locations around the world.

He was brought up in Chateau-Arnoux-Saint-Auban. With the support of a local artist, he became interested in painting and drawing at a young age. At age 11, discovering a book on Pierre-Auguste Renoir, he first understood that he might be able to forge a career out of his particular talent.

After several attempts at gaining a formal education in the arts, he worked as a stage designer at the Nice Opera in 1959. In 1961, Venet joined the French Army whilst also starting to establish his style as an artist. During this period, he painted with tar, creating his art with his feet in a gestural style. This work eventually developed into black monochromatic paintings which eschewed all forms of action painting.

After completing his military service, Venet returned to Nice, where he established his studio and continued to explore painting with tar, creating art with coal, and photography. His first sculpture, Coal Pile, has a restrained and minimal quality.

Subsequently, Venet became familiar with the work of Arman and some of the New Realists in Paris, such as César Baldaccini, Raymond Hains and Jacques Villeglé, and started sculpting with cardboard. He exhibited alongside New Realists and Pop artists' works in the Salon Comparaisons at the Paris Museum of Modern Art.

In 1966, during a two-month visit to New York City, Venet was influenced by Minimalism, consequently incorporating this style into his art. In 1967, Venet moved to New York and shared fellow artist Arman’s studio, at 84 Walker Street. Also around this period, Venet became interested in logic and mathematics and produced works around these concepts.

During the 1980s, Venet continued to develop his art along logical lines. In the 1990s, Venet created his Indeterminate Lines series and subsequently his Arcs, which have been exhibited at various locations, including Versailles and internationally.