Abidjan, 2014

An artist whose works were heavily monochromic, Bernard Aubertin made use of the colour red as a means of evoking feelings and topics pertaining to the colour itself – be it violence, austerity, simplicity or fire. Initially, Aubertin was influenced by Klein, a fellow monochromic artist, and then went on to become a member of the Zero Dusseldorf Group alongside Heinz Mack and Piero Manzoni. He began to incorporate fire into his work during the early 60’s - the natural spontaneity of fire helped Aubertin to create charred, unique works that denoted the capability of a destructive force to create and breathe life into something – a technique used in his Livre Brule piece. Asides from fire, Aubertin also used nails as a means of expression – one of his most famous works, Tablea Clous, is comprised of several nails in a wooden board, covered in a dense layer of vivid red paint; the shadows of these nails alter depending on the way the light is cast, or the angle from which an onlooker is viewing. (Artist website)