ART CITIES: London-Johan Creten

Johan Creten is a Belgian sculptor based in Paris. Though trained as a painter, he soon turned to ceramic and bronze as his primary mediums. Affectionately known as “The Clay Gipsy”, and working wherever he has the opportunity, from Miami to Mexico, Den Haag to New York, Creten is considered a frontrunner in the revival of ceramics, alongside Lucio Fontana and Thomas Schütte.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Almine Rech Gallery Archive

Johan Creten’s solo exhibition “Far removed from the numbing speed” offers a more intimate approach to the artist’s work with a set of sculptures he calls “library versions”. These pieces, of a size close to the clay models produced before his monumental works are designed for the home: to be placed on a desk or nestled between books. As the title’s formula ironically suggests, the aim of this exhibition is to pull us out of modern life’s saturated pace and digital over-consumption by giving us a more engaging and regenerative personal art experience. This exhibition follows on from the exhibition “How to explain sculptures to an Influencer?”, when the artworks were first shown. While adding a difference in patina, Johan Creten uses the stage principle of the Parisian installation: on a wooden platform, small bronzes shaped with lost-wax, based on the artist’s “bestiary”. A “mural décor” made up of the bas-reliefs “La Rencontre” and “C’est dans ma nature”, as well as “Miroirs d’argent” amplify the composition’s narrative character. The panoramic view of the whole can be appreciated from the glazed stoneware plinth-sculptures, which he aptly entitled “Points d’observation”. This set-up is reminiscent of the “Gesamtkunstwerk” concept, a fully integrated artwork that dissolves the boundaries between art and life. Furthermore, the narratives that result from this unusual confrontation between the artist’s mythological creatures go beyond the theatrical framework of the animal fable or the commedia dell’arte, delving closer to the depths of Wagnerian dramaturgy. The soothing and contemplative atmosphere that emanates contrasts with the pace of our modern lives, marked by the crushing weight of social media and the excessive abundance of images and information. In the face of “numbing” effects of this overconsumption, the exhibition reveals the artworks’ introspective as well as revitalizing power. Johan Creten says: “Each sculpture is an enigma that can be interpreted as a memento mori or as a codified reflection on the vital force of life, endowed with a truly remarkable inner strength.” His technical mastery is matched by his conceptual depth. The glazes and textures of his ceramics suggest organic growth, decay, and the passage of time, while his bronze works exude permanence and resilience. By merging these contrasting materials, Creten creates a dynamic tension that underscores the dualities inherent in life and art.

Photo: Johan Creten, La Mouche Morte, 2023, Bronze and glazed stoneware base, Sculpture: 33 x 56 x 32 cm, 13 x 22 x 12 1/2 in, Base: 11 x 67.5 x 41 cm, 4 1/2 x 26 1/2 x 16 in, Edition 2/6 + 1 AP, © Johan Creten, Courtesy the artist and Almine Rech Gallery

Info: Almine Rech Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Broadbent House, London, United Kingdom, Duration: 14/11-20/12/2024, Days & Hours: Tue-Sat 10:00-19:00, www.alminerech.com/