Grégory Sugnaux

Grégory Sugnaux's practice is rooted in an exploration of the image's status, seeking to understand its significance in a world increasingly dominated by visual culture. As Ingrid Luquet-Gad describes, Sugnaux's painting is an art of time, creating pauses and accelerations within the strange eternity of a decade that seems never-ending. Through subtle gestures, he carves out distinctions within a continuous flow, shifting perceptual modalities and allowing for the emergence of a new perspective.

At the heart of Sugnaux's artistic inquiry is the grotesque, a motif that serves as a lens through which he examines societal norms and the complexities of human experience. He begins with images from the sociabilized visual sphere, collecting materials designed to categorize emotions like joy, fear, and love. This iterative process culminates in the act of painting, where chosen images are applied to the canvas, capturing the moment with a sense of immediacy. This method ensures that even glitches and light rays are preserved, reflecting the chaotic nature of contemporary existence.

Sugnaux's fascination with facial expressions and their capacity to convey a spectrum of emotions allows him to navigate the fine line between fear, affection, and humor. As he states, “Rather than thinking the image, Grégory Sugnaux thinks the exhibition.” This approach emphasizes that every image derives meaning from its relationship to a broader context, echoing Luquet-Gad's assertion that his works invite a deeper engagement with the space they inhabit. His paintings, often presented in sequences that engage the viewer’s body rather than merely their gaze, evoke a visceral response that fosters a collective reflection on our emotional states.

The materiality of paint is central to Sugnaux's work; his strokes are both airy and substantial, creating a dialogue between speed and lethargy, evoking a childlike joy in the simplicity of primary affects. Emotions infiltrate the artwork through the confusion of initial impressions, allowing for a deeper understanding of the human condition. As Sugnaux explores the distinction between emotions, which are often considered subjective, and affects, which he views as sociabilized responses, he engages the viewer in a shared experience of the works.

In today's landscape, the emergence of "cursed images," which evoke a disquieting yet familiar sentiment, serves as a backdrop for Sugnaux's inquiry into the affective status of images. These images, characterized by a sense of the sublime and the ridiculous, resonate with the viewer, engendering a diffuse feeling that lingers long after the encounter. Sugnaux’s practice challenges us to confront the absurd and the unexpected, inviting us to engage with the chaos of our visual world.
Ultimately, Grégory Sugnaux's practice seeks to expand the conversation around image-making, encouraging a reconsideration of our relationship with art and its representation of reality. Through his exploration of the grotesque and the multifaceted nature of identity, he cultivates a space for dialogue and reflection, allowing us to embrace the complexities of our emotional landscape.