Matthieu Bourel: The experiment of collage

Experiment is what defines and fuels the artistic activity and resourcefulness of Matthieu Bourel, the creator of traditional, digital and animated collage artworks which he presents as “data-ism”, a response to the abundance of data in contemporary society and his own Dada inspired vision of human nature, identity and reaction to the environment, often reflected with humor and sarcasm, through intriguing juxtapositions and thought-provoking combinations or intended omission of elements.

By modifying the face, either fully replaced with a new image, transformed into a fractal hole or obsessively multiplied to lose its initial features, Matthieu Bourel frees his characters from the burden of the mask, which society has carefully inserted in its celebration and culture of appearance, and guides the viewer towards understanding what lies beneath all that is visible, in emotion and inside the mind, generating a new state of awareness.

These physical distortions remind of music sampling, and the artist is familiar with the power of sound, which also serves as inspiration for his challenging visual remix. And in this process he sometimes revisits the past or rearranges the present, always adding bold and unanticipated meanings to his unlimited, varied yet consistent versions of reality.