Control of Paris…
Growing up in urban areas in the 80s, the graffiti came naturally to Steph and was not particularly found as an artistic research but rather a way of meeting and adventure. Steph developed his know-how in the heart of the capital and quickly became a key figure of The “Street Art” movement. In 1988, he repainted the fences of the Louvre during the realization of the pyramid with his crew “Control of Paris”, composed among others of Joey Starr and Meo.
In 1996, with Mist, an artistic partner, he went to the source, New York, and shared walls with the legendary writer Cope2.
Unknowingly, during creating the brand Homecore and Ladysoul with his partners, he participated in the creation of a new trend, later defined as the “streetwear”. He will be the artistic director until 2005.
Children Of Production…
After several years covering the walls of images, building collections for textiles, drawing logos for the streetwear market, his work becomes more personal and Steph goes to the physical representation of a graphical world. He tackles the world of “Designer Toy”, and five figures symbolizing topics of the artist’s work emerged in 2000. It was the birth of the Imaginary Friends.
Many material researches on the subject made evolved his character by embodying and refining its line, the ARO became a cult figure of the scene of Designer Toys.
When the soul of the wood builds the one of the man …
Today Steph Cop has went from Paris. Different settings but same obsessions. The walls are replaced by forests. As if to clear itself of using harmful materials, Steph isolates himself in the forests of the Morvan to recreate Aro. The ARO machined plastic turns into “Wooden Aro”. Equipped with a heavy chainsaw, the artist carves his pieces in trees full of history, and plays with the imperfections in the wood to carve majestic forms.
A work like a symbolic haven where the artist is surrounded by his pieces, “imaginary friends”. Physical, material, in the Morvan of his origins when he came to settle after his wanderings in Paris … “I find myself in this place I love. With the Morvan forest. I settled down with wood. I look for damaged trees, dead, lost. I search in the forest. This is an important time. You must observe, walk, be sensitive to the nature. ” Getting lost in the woods, to better meet yourself …
The work ARO « Analyse Reflex Obsessional » / Wooden ARO
Ultimate figure of a serie of six, ARO is the most accurate projection of Steph COP himself. Beyond the graphic look of its sliced lines, of its rooted posture, it is “Obsessive Reflex Analysis”. The search of the pure seems to be the key, ARO is the genesis.
“This work comes from my faults,” he agrees, an echo to himself … He gives us a symbolic way allegories of his emotions. So was born Aro.
The meeting between the machine and the nature gave birth to Wooden ARO, a rereading of the character ARO. Chainsaw carved in different woods, as if the artist freed from the tree the piece that was already chosen. This material needs to be tamed in power and sweetness.
“Learning alone and with the instinct, surrounded by forests. By dint of handling, you do your lines, you draw, you cut, a slave labor in paradise, the silence of the noise of the machine among the ancient trees.”
Each piece takes time to draw, slow maturation. A natural creation that has something almost sacred, where the hand of man has only followed the lines already marked by time. Delicate lumberjack despite the noisy tool, rendering is heartbreaking sensitivity. All parts are full charged of the emotions of its creator.
” In truth, art is enclosed in nature: the one who can extract it, this one is a master.” Albrecht Dürer.
At first, his sculptures are formatted, they are variations on the same model then just put their hands, touch wood, to discover the essence of each, the rugged terrain, the features of the machine that carved them. Go beyond appearances, they are similar and different.
The success of his work leads him to create, always, new original pieces. Wood, porcelain, vinyl, steel, concrete, as many as materials to discover the work in volume of this prolific artist.
“Art must born of the material and the spirituality needs to borrow the language of the material.”
Jean Dubuffet.
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Exposition Personnelle – “NEUROGAMIE” – 5 Octobre > 3 Novembre 2012
Exposition Personnelle – “ASYMMETRIA” – 21 Octobre > 20 Novembre 2016
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SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019 | UPCOMING. Galerie Slika. Lyon ( France)
2019 | « IX. ANTONOMASE ». Secret Gallery. Paris ( France)
2017 | « COPELINI ». Galerie Slika. Lyon ( France)
2016 | « ASYMMETRIA ». David Bloch Gallery. Marrakech (Maroc)
2015 | « ASYMPTOTE ». Kolly Gallery. Zurich (Suisse)
2014 | « CHARACTERS ». Percept Gallery. Lyon (France)
2014 | Aro 3.0, projet 5/FG FINE ART. Paris (France)
2013 | Solo show. Installation 5.0 Monumental. Fondation Zoraides (Monaco)
2012 | « NEUROGAMIE ». Monumental cèdres du Maroc. David Bloch Gallery. Marrakech (Maroc)
2012 | Solo Show. Installation Aro Monumental, FG Fine Art. Port de Cannes (France)
2012 | « ARO MONUMENTAL ». Fondation d’art Américaine. Chateau de la Napoule. (France)
2011 | « CEREBRUMSTRUCTURA ». Space Junk. Place des vosges. Paris (France)
2010 | « ARO ». Cannes (France)
2010 | Aro / Feiyue. Librairie OFR. Paris (France)
2010 | Aro. ZincArt gallery. KualaLumpur (Malaisie)
2009 | Aro. Artoyz. Paris (France)
2009 | Aro. Artoyz. Lyon (France)
COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS
2017 | « WHO’S YOUR DADDY ? » . Kolly Gallery . Lausanne (Suisse)
2017 | « KOMELA » . La Palme D’Or . Hotel Martinez-Grand Hyatt . Cannes (France)
2017 | Collective show. David Bloch Gallery. Marrakech (Maroc)
2016 | « SWISS CHEESE ». Espace Oppidum. Kolly Gallery. Paris (France)
2015 | Group Show. Présentation du bronze 73 cm. Musée MACM de Mougins (france)
2014 | Chèvre d’Or pour les 60 ans du 5 étoiles. Avec Nicolas Lavarenne, Serge Van de Put, Milthon, Sosno,
Arman. Eze (France)
2013 | « ALL THE SAME BUT DIFFERENT ». Roquebrune Cap Martin (France)
2013 | Calmet X Steph.Cop. Seize Gallery. Marseille (France)
2012 | Aeroport de Cannes. Mandelieu (France)
2011 | « Essence ». Space Junk. Lyon, Bayonne, Grenoble (France)
2010 | RAW- ArtyFarty. Cologne (Allemagne)
2010 | « LA OU IL PLEUVINE ».Saulieu (France)
2010 | Singapor, SG
2010 | Australie, AUSTRALIE
INSTALLATIONS
2017 | Eloge de la lenteur 3.0. Parc naturel du Morvan. ( France)
2015 | 5.0 Monumental, hors les murs. Mougins (France)
2015 | Installation. Aro le Cube 270. Ville de Cagnes (france)
2014 | Installation 5.0 mètres. Port de Cannes (France)
2014 | Installation Aro 3.0. Saut De Gouloux. Parc Naturel du Morvan (France)
2014 | Installation Aro 280. Mougins (France)
2011 | Acquisition Aro en béton 240, Bayonne. (France)
BIENNALES & ART FAIRS
2017 | Urvanity Contemporary Art Fair . Kolly Gallery . Madrid (Espagne)
2017 | Docks Art Fair . Galerie Slika . Lyon (France)
2016 | Biennale de Marrakech. 3.0 Axiome, hors les murs. David Bloch Gallery. Marrakech (Maroc)
2016 | Art Paris Art Fair. Speerstra Gallery. Paris (France)
2015 | 43ème Salon de Antibes Art Fair, FR (avec Nicolas Lavarenne, Vasarely, Serge Van de Put)
2012 | Salon « Franchement Art ». Exposition à la Citadelle de Villefranche sur Mer (France)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ASYMPTOTE. Catalogue d’exposition. Kolly Gallery 2015.
Revue HEY ! #1.2012, Modern Art and Pop Culture
DOT DOT DASH ! Designer Toys 2006, Robet Klanten
EDITION
2015 | STEPH COP – COPELINI. Editions Koméla
