STATEMENT
I'm fascinated as much by our collective addiction to novelty as by the traces and voids that result. I explore the rich tension between obsolescence and innovation in a context where our desires are reaching industrial proportions and our planet has reached its limits. For 20 years, as part of the Doyon-Rivest duo, I charted the workings of communication in our society. I see my current work as another dimension of this same approach.
My creative process questions the boundaries between disciplines to open up new avenues. I refuse to limit my world, so I draw on all my skills, acquired in art or design. My projects are conceived from the idea to the aesthetic, with great consideration for the viewer, who I believe is also part of the work. Whether in painting, sculpture or the digital realm, my research is intuitive and empirical.
The interdisciplinary practice I pursue as a solo artist unfolds in a more personal zone that I had obscured in favor of the duo. Leaving behind certain aspects of the conceptual art I loved so much, I need to communicate in a more felt way. So I build on my experience as a creator with a posture that is renewed in real time.
BIO
Simon Rivest is a interdisciplinary artist with an atypical path. He was first trained as a graphic designer. Very early in his career, a job in advertising profoundly imprinted his creativity. Beside getting a strong experience in electronic and print production, he sticks to the philosophy that there are no frontiers for ideas. Since 2001, he has been part of artistic duo Doyon-Rivest. Their art has been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Canada and abroad. They created multiple public art projects, both permanent and temporary. In 2021, he engaged on a solo career path, enriching his career with painting and digital art. With his life partner Catherine Lepage, Simon founded Ping Pong Ping. The creative studio devotes his unique approach to collaborations within the cultural sector. He lives and works in Montreal.