JE PENSE (I THINK), 2014 Bernard Quentin

“A universal language had to be found and for that to happen, symbols understandable by all had to be invented. However, the meaning of symbols can differ from one continent to another; that is why I have decided upon symbols that can be interpreted by everyone. That is the universal dimension of it. I based myself on Kufic and Zen calligraphies, where each artist may add something, as well as meaning.”

Quentin

Bernard Quentin first exhibited his “art-language” in Paris. This language is composed of universal graphic signs, supposed to be understandable by all. Its originality stems from the fact that it embodies a rupture; Quentin does not mean to appeal to Western elites as modern avant-gardes do. He tries to communicate in a very basic way in order to create works of art containing visual symbols. He decides what their meanings are and his priority lies there; that is way more important to him than any aesthetic matter.

In 2014, Quentin creates a series of drawings using ink and paint on newspaper, using the signs and symbols he made up. "Je pense" is part of this series and a long list of similar works through which the artist expresses himself in a codified way. Quentin had been using his “art-language” since the end of Second World War, which is the moment he started centering his works around the concept of writing, thinking that language is supposed to unite people