L'ATLAS

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Art Star No.11. L'ATLASSTAR, 2010. Gaffer tape and acrylic on denim.

One of France's foremost urban artists, L'ATLAS is inspired by the symmetry of typography and the smallest architectural details. He once claimed 'manholes are more beautiful than all the paintings in the museum'. Born in Toulouse in 1978 and now based in Paris, he often works by spray-painting the streets with trademark labarynthine patterns, and later transposing them onto canvas. He was recently commissioned to construct one of his giant compass installations in the plaza of the Pompidou Centre.

Questions & Answers

" What kind of art do you make?"

My art is a universal way of writing, mixing forms, architectures and letters.

" Where can I see it?"

You can see it in the street, gallery or museum...
You can see it everywhere!

" How do you feel about Polo Jeans Co.'s ART STARS project?"

I don’t usually work for labels, but the idea of the star seduced me. So I did it and I’m glad about the piece!

" Describe your finished ART STAR in a sentence?"

I called my piece a CRYPTOGRAM. It’s somewhere between an Alphabet and Ideogram, and my name is hidden on it.

" What did you think when it first arrived at your studio?"

I thought ‘how am I going to cut my gaffer tape without cutting the denim at the same time!!’. That was one of the difficulties of my piece.

"You were asked to use the Stars and Stripes for inspiration. How did you incorporate it into your star?"

I followed the shape of the star from the periphery to the heart with lines, and that process created another star in the centre. Then I sculpted my letters between the lines.

" What else inspired you?"

My seven daughters, who are all stars! And Chinese and Arabic calligraphy.

" How did you find working with denim?"

Different…

" What processes did you use to create your piece?"

I just followed my inspiration!

" What are you most proud of about the result?"

I usually make 2D pieces on canvas, so I am really proud to have a 3D form that you can turn around!

" Describe your denim style…"

White jeans.

" Who else's star are you most looking forward to seeing and why?"

I am hoping to make the best star of the project, the star of stars in a way!

Profile

  • Name: L'ATLAS
  • Location: Paris, France
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L'Atlas

Exhibitions

Location: CITADIUM, PARIS, France

Dates: April 26th – May 17th

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Location: LAZZARI, TREVISE, Italy

Dates: July 05th – September 05th

View exhibition

Location: MEXICANA, BORDEAUX, France

Dates: April 06th – April 20th

View exhibition

Polo Jeans Co. Ralph Lauren Art Stars

Polo Jeans Co. Ralph Lauren Art Stars

In January 2010, Polo Jeans Co. Ralph Lauren commissioned over 40 of Europe’s most exciting young contemporary artists to customise stars made from the finest American denim.

With the iconic Stars and Stripes flag for inspiration, each young artist was tasked with creating something totally unique: beyond the shapes and sizes of the Art Stars, the only limit was their imaginations...

Each Art Star will appear in a Polo Jeans Co. store, before joining a public exhibition in London in late 2010.

Contemporary art and fashion aficionados will have the opportunity to own one of these exclusive Art Stars.

All the stars created will be brought together in a public exhibition in London in late 2010 and auctioned in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust.

Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity dedicated to improving the lives of young people with cancer between the ages of 13-24.

Teenagers don’t stop being teenagers because they have cancer, which is why Teenage Cancer Trust builds specialist units in NHS hospitals, staffed by teenage cancer specialists.

These units are designed for and by young people and aim to give teenage cancer patients the very best chance of a positive outcome whilst being as close as possible to normal life.

State-of-the-art facilities keep patients occupied during long, and often grueling stays, whilst bringing teenagers with cancer together so they can support each other.

Visit www.teenagecancertrust.org to find out more.

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