STATEMENT

Consumerism and progress form a great wave that moves faster and faster. Like a wave, this phenomenon leaves a proportional void. I'm as fascinated by our attraction to novelty as I am by the gaps or traces left by its passage.

The trough of this wave is obsolescence, and obsolescence exists in direct relation to innovation. They are not opposites, but two ways of looking at the same phenomenon. Innovation breeds obsolescence. Obsolescence, perceived or real, calls for innovation.

I chose to reflect first on the mechanisms of obsolescence in the broadest sense, because it offers me a critical stance and a rich emotional tension. We're all part of it to varying degrees. We consume because a product seems outdated or simply no longer meets our needs. This cycle of psychological obsolescence is in full swing, and our desires are reaching industrial proportions. The phenomenon extends beyond the realm of technology to material, digital content, ideas, culture, and even the living. As part of the Doyon-Rivest duo, I've been exploring the central role of communication in our system for 20 years. I see my current work as another side of the same coin.

My creative process challenges the boundaries between disciplines to open up new avenues. I refuse to limit myself and want to make use of all my skills. My projects are therefore built from the idea to the aesthetic, with great consideration for the viewer, who I believe is also part of the work. Whether in painting or in the digital world, my research is intuitive and empirical.

The interdisciplinary practice I pursue as a solo artist unfolds in a more personal zone that I had left aside in favor of the duo. I give free rein to gesture and claim the right to produce purely intuitive works. I'm convinced that we collectively need to communicate in a less cerebral way, as conceptual art (that I dearly love) encourages us to do, by getting closer to feeling. So I build on my experience as a creator with an approach that renews itself in real time.

BIO

Simon Rivest is a cross-disciplinary 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.