Bernar Venet

Art Brokerage: Bernar Venet French Artist: b.1941. Venet was brought up in Chateau-Arnoux-Saint-Auban and had a religious upbringing, aspiring to become a missionary. With the support of a local artist, however, he became interested in painting and drawing at a young age. After several attempts at gaining a formal education in the arts, he worked as a stage designer at the Nice Opera in 1959. In 1961, Venet joined the French Army whilst also starting to establish his style as an artist. During this period, he painted with tar, creating his art with his feet in a gestural style. This work eventually developed into black monochromatic paintings which eschewed all forms of action painting. Venet's work has become known internationally, with sculptures exhibited in Belgium, America, Japan, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and more recently New Zealand, where he is represented by Gow Langsford Gallery. In 2005, Venet received the title of Chevalier de La Legion d'Honneur, France's highest honour. In 2012, Venet was commissioned by Alan Gibbs, an art collector based in New Zealand; Venet's newest and largest sculpture stands in the Gibbs Farm sculpture park. Venet's GRIBS and mathematical paintings were exhibited at Art Plural Gallery in Singapore until December 2012. In 2012, luxury car maker Bugatti invited Venet to create a one-off artwork to be applied to a Veyron Grand Sport. The finished work, described as "the fastest artwork ever", was revealed at the Rubell Family Collection in Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach.