Mag Michel

About

MAG, (1963- ). By using vehicles parts, discarded material, squashed or folded steel or plastic, MAG produces a serial work based on the observation of our violent environmental decadence. The fragmentations and distorsions represent MAGs powerful sculptures. He magnifies everyday elements but icon ones to raise issues about the recycling. He describes his work as a poetic-ethnic urban junk celebration! By elevating ordinary objects to the status of art, he challenges ideas about what constitutes art. He is working in India since 1999. ''My approach of artistic creation is independent and self-taught, My 'fragmentations" and "distortions" become the spokespersons of my critical eye on society. While working way I refuse to accept atypical etiquette-(label)post-industrial, neo-new-conceptual realist I prefer that my work is considered "social default"! or "E-situationist"
My work is engaged and shows a certain point of view of the global world. I work with icons of the world culture and trying to show their place in globalization (rickshaw, Ambassador, sacred cows). I put on the stage of the symbols of consumption and problematic contemporary social (Mother India-Social Distortion). Our lives, our social actions are henceforth defined by models of consumption (single uniform soon). Sometimes I feel like I live in this existential vacuum, then I fill the dizziness. I often have difficulty in understanding the value of collective codes with which we communicate, I think my work fall outside a logical, although I develop theories in their creations, knowing that their truths owe nothing to intellectualism. I have not mastered correctly my imagination, it is obviously congested with all sorts of contradiction often symbolic. My creative intensity lies in the fact of collection, recycling, assembling, magnify a rest, aestheticize a rest ... poeticize Handle waste, surplus is a bit like acting in a primitive world (at the age of stone ) or into the skin of an urban archaeologist.While the ideas are worked out, but they are most often the result of encounters with materials, opportunities that present themselves during a search (field, snack, street, decheterrie). I do not want to lock me in a format, in a medium, I have neither knowledge nor proceed. I manipulate, alter and be urgent. … Read More

Website: http://www.mag-michel.blogspot.com

Work

THE E-SITUATIONIST
The revolutionary ideas have emerged first among artists.
The E- Situationist is a merger of street artists and web artists. Those two groups are slightly following the idea of the International Situationist of the late 50’ 60’. Diversion and culture jamming is the art method of this new generation. The e- situationist use texts, images, slogan, news, symbols, they pastiche art works, they make detournement of previous generation’s art, spoof ads…! They e-merge art and politics. The e-situationist (ES) art has a social dimension based on controversy that can be seen as superficial idea but also be seen like a new political force for social change with our new media.
ES works spread in the street and are relayed with buzz on the net. Their actions are linked on the web via social network or personal blog.
ES are more activists than theorists like their elders. The graphics diversion, the words used, the fonts are not ‘’theft plagiarism’’ but a kind of culture amalgams, an accumulation of superficial information. They claim to have a punk attitude (without rock) often using the image of this society movement. They are agitators focusing on the global world consumerism and showing the society paradoxes in everyday life.
ES blend different sources of inspiration like video, logo, tv hero, deluxe fashion brand, products labels; they cut and paste, tags, graphs, draws and paints on laptops. They are definitely international because they live in the global market, they target it but also use it to stay on the front stage. They can’t escape the communication garden, they act in the e-rebellion in the global village. They use and hide their identity behind anonymous id, nicknames, provocative monograms to sign on their art posters, billboards, stickers or stencils.
They try, not to be recuperated, by the system (advertising company…) even if they are pure product of this industry. They show the domination of society by images. King mob in England, May 68 in France are symbolic era in which they find inspirations and similar views.
Those E- Situationist artists play with the image of communism, anarchism, despotism. They criticize modern consumer society for alienating people and turning their lives into meaningless pursuits of commodities. The ES seem to have less political beliefs and less intellectual approach than 40 years ago but they are the ‘’indignes’’, the septic and pessimist youth facing economical and environmental issues! Small series of laser prints artworks are sold on the net, in virtual gallery or underground gallery. The collage has been replaced with art software and online library. They slip and slide between non-violence slogan, peace and love words, fake riots drawing, neo-punk style collage, pastiche of products series, bank note detournement, aggressive face, trash humour, angel skull, spoof ads, futuristic wall graffitis, naïve stencil posters, graphic tags, transformed design. All is provocation before becoming propaganda. The E-situationist present artistic production is a small growing avant garde tendance but provoke the national and international art institutions. … Read More

Education

Biography

MAG Michel (1963- )

No Art School
No Institute of Design & Architecture, No Academy of
No Diploma, No Award.

-Conceptual mix media art expression.
-Exploration of the world of consumption and its social aspect :E-Situationism
-The Action is FRAGMENTATIONS of :
- Icons (Vehicle Ambassador HM, Autorickshaw Bajaj ,Scooter Vespa..),
- Ritual (Indian sacred cows, crucifix..),
- Junk items (epoxy shape),
- Imprint (empreinte)
- Collage (social distorsion, deities sticker, logo),
- Body (legs, doll),
- Pink paradox (Barbed Wire, War tank),
- Warning Fragile(environment,health,consumerism)………

…. in our beloved violent environmental decadence.

Exhibitions

2007 The Dune Pondichery India - Eco alternative Solo exhibition.
2009 APW Gallery New York Usa – Group exhibition.
2010 Coromandel Art Gallery Pondichery India. Solo Exhibition
2011 Anata Gallery Los Angeles Usa – Group virtual exhibition.

Bibliography

Indian Contemporary . Publisher Thames & Hudson by Henry Wilson 2007
Maisons du Monde. Editions Aubanel by Deidi Von Schaeven & Francesca Torre 2009 … Read More