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In French, Les Fauves means “the wild beasts.” This is worth noting because French-Canadian painter Pierre Juteau has developed a highly intellectual approach to art making that has led him to build his work upon the joyous freedom and deceptively “primitive” style of the Fauves. This dénouement is the result of the ambitious goal Juteau set for himself when he began painting in 1990; he studied the past and present in order to discover the future in his quest to achieve artistic timelessness. As Juteau boldly puts it, “I want the messages included in my paintings to hit you, forever.” |
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The Science of Juteau’s Human Spirit
 – Milton Fletcher
In French, Les Fauves means “the wild beasts.” This is worth noting because French-Canadian painter Pierre Juteau has developed a highly intellectual approach to art making that has led him to build his work upon the joyous freedom and deceptively “primitive” style of the Fauves.
This dénouement is the result of the ambitious goal Juteau set for himself when he began painting in 1990; he studied the past and present in order to discover the future in his quest to achieve artistic timelessness. As Juteau boldly puts it, “I want the messages included in my paintings to hit you, forever.”
An engineer by formal education and a self-taught artist, Juteau believes that he has discovered a key to art immortality by applying a philosophic-scientific method to creating art and depicting the human spirit. Juteau studied the texts of famed French physicist-theorist Jean-Émile Charon and his thoughts on M-Theory, which is, in essence, an attempt to formulate one sole scientific law that can explain the nature of the universe. Charon expanded the concept to postulate that the universe has direct a relationship to the human spirit. Juteau adapted these ideas and applied it to his art by asserting that there are two critical factors that determine the longevity of painting: texture and matter (also called particles). By layering paint on the canvas, Juteau builds up course textures. The particles in the textures help to form hidden shapes and images that aren’t noticeable at first glance. This technique enhances Juteau’s work and rewards the viewer who scrutinizes his paintings to find the hidden meanings within.
Juteau explains, “Texture was the answer. I started doing texture with sand to make particles and, slowly, over ten years, I worked more and more with texture to get the human spirit, the aura of the anti-matters. At the same time, I was looking to include more than three dimensions, such as the fourth (time), but I was also wondering how to apply the M theory (in which there are a purported 11 dimensions of the universe) to get the full universe. I put up to 25 layers of acrylic on one painting to create dimensions. I create matter and sub-matter by applying abstract textures under the figurative painting that spawns hundreds of complex images in the painting.” Although Juteau’s interest in M-Theory and its adaptation to his art are intriguing, you don’t have to be a physicist to enjoy his paintings. His subject matter is engaging: colorful people dancing and undulating out of doors and at festivals to celebrate the human spirit. Luminous animal scenes are favorite subjects of his too. All are portrayed with abandon, using radiant colors.
The painting Top Model exemplifies Juteau’s vision. A festively dressed woman is awash in colors. The sensuous and saturated hues, along with the layers of paint, grab and hold the eye. Juteau’s loose and playful brush gives a lively sense of lyrical movement. Also, when one looks closely at the painting’s brushstrokes, the intentionally abstract shapes and patterns can suggest any number of additional images. That Juteau’s work comes across as vibrant and spontaneous completely belies the intense experimentation and study that went into it.
So, while Juteau’s theories are important because they give him what he needs to push his artistic growth, it is his natural talent, color schemes, subject matter and textures that make his work so striking and appealing. Is his work timeless? It is hard to say; ultimately that judgment will be made by people yet unborn. Hopefully they will recognize that Juteau’s work defines his vision of the human spirit.
www.juteau.com.
Milton Fletcher is director and curator of CyberGallery66.org
