Green Canvas

Jonathan Longuet on creating art using an unconventional medium — algae paint.

A work from the exhibition, “Jungle Me: Green Graffiti Art”.

Kaushik Kumar

French artist Jonathan Longuet has given the term “lifelike painting” a whole new meaning. His works are not only alive but they also grow over the years. Reason: instead of traditional paints, Longuet uses algae or “living plant paint” on canvas. A collection of these works is on display at Niv Art Centre in Neb Sarai. Titled “Jungle Me: Green Graffiti Art”, the show comprises largely portraits — nine individual works and nine collaborations with Mumbai street fashion photographer Manou.

The faces on the images are mostly people from the streets, such as a girl with a dog and a labourer. Each sketch is outlined with the “green paint”. “Many problems that people find in the heart of contemporary civilisation also apply to complex system of plants,” says the artist, who has been working with this medium since 2005, though he has no training in science.

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The first stroke of inspiration for his innovative medium came when Longuet saw algae growing on stones in his building. Now, he harvests them from damp corners and buildings in Bordeaux, as well as cultivates them in his workshop through a bio-reactor before applying them on a canvas (made of pure cotton). Though the bio-paint quickly settles, it grows over time as the algae is alive, depending on the way it is preserved.

The show is on at Niv Art Centre till April 20. Contact: 29535508

(The reporter is an EXIMS student)

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