Nicolas Deshayes (B. 1983)

Across an anodised surface of transmuting purple, green and ochre, Acids (3), 2012, is an example of Nicholas
Deshayes’ innovative experiments in painting that bridge the divide between the organically gestural and industrially produced. With its vibrating planes of colour, Acids (3) is reminiscent of Mark Rothko’s abstract colour field painting, here created through the chemical activity of the metal rather than the individual gesture of the artist. Placing framed sections of vacuum formed plastic on sheets of treated aluminium, Deshayes applies heat, causing the plastic to mottle and crease like aging human skin. Despite their industrial production, Deshayes’ works recall the frailty and mortality of the human body.