Stéphane does not go in circles. His art is a journey informed by explorers such as Malevitch, Mondrian, Judd, Martin, Nemours. While travelling, he nods a yes but intends a no. Stephane La Rue is in a place of intricate, delicately wrought possibilities.
Each of these is slowly brought forth as either drawing, collage, solid structure, or wood construction. La Rue then works so that each part will be clear and true with the others; their precise harmony becomes evident.
Thus, after the no, the maybes are tested by the interplay of form, material, profile and outline.
It could all stop there. But for La Rue it is just the beginning. The flag of his new chosen place is not yet afloat. To achieve that, his art has to add something substantial to life. It must outstrip the code and become fully alive.
Just as the gestures of painting can actually cause the paint to “sing”, Stéphane continues on his road until the work eventually springs into life.
In concordance with the Poems to the Right Angle, the Rhythm of the Millimeter and other heraldic art accomplishments that side track the roads to exploration, La Rue’s plans, as Risen Up From the Bulge and Stem, expand their realisations like chords.
In art, there is no beginning and no end to the journey. A destination is never reached once and for all. With ingenuity, La Rue again succeeds in its striking reinvention.
Roger Bellemare
Artist: Stéphane La Rue
Documents:
ledevoir-larue-octobre2014
