iconTechnique: digital print (pigmented inks on paper)
Étienne Saint-Amant was born in 1978 in Sherbrooke. A master of science and an artist in media arts, Saint-Amant is both a researcher in nuclear magnetic resonance brain imaging and a creator of absolutely remarkable 2D works that he creates using mathematics software. The computer is his favorite tool, see his virtual canvas. The images he creates using different invented mathematical formulas are then printed in 5 copies on polyester paper or large format professional photo paper. These are then sealed on an aluminum sheet covered with an anti-reflective acrylic sheet which adds to the contemporaneity of his works.
His interests are multiple, his sources of inspiration come from various fields such as: history, philosophy, cinema, literature, music and, of course, the visual arts and sciences. His artistic approach is based, among other things, on chaos theory, complex analysis, fractal geometry, Brownian movements and imaging techniques. His extensive scientific knowledge serves as basic tools for the creation of his images. For Saint-Amant, chaos is not only to be understood in its unstable and disordered side, but it constitutes a powerful creative force in constant evolution. It is this vision of nature and thought that nourishes his creative process. To create his images, Saint-Amant hardly uses a so-called “scientific” approach, but rather a large part of intuition and trial and error. Having worked for a long time using already existing mathematical formulas to create his works, he now designs his own formulas.
Étienne Saint-Amant presents digital works in the Beauchamp Art Galleries where delicate and ethereal shapes juxtaposed or overlapping create extremely refined and complex compositions. They sometimes represent city scenes or imaginary landscapes or, they are content with plays of shapes, lines and colors which exist for themselves.
Étienne Saint-Amant is a young innovative artist currently in the spotlight. He was selected in 2010 to represent Canada at the Shanghai World Expo in the visual arts component. He also won the 3rd public prize at the Salon du Printemps at the Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts and was subsequently awarded the artist ambassador grant from the city of Sherbrooke. There is no doubt that Étienne Saint-Amant will gain a lot of recognition and that he will continue to seduce us with the originality of his works.
Media coverage
- Amélie Boisonneau, “I think, therefore I create”, La Nouvelle, May 11, 2011
- Mélanie Noël, “Mathematical art and the beauty of the universe”, La Tribune, May 9, 2011
- Interview at Radio-Canada on his recent exhibition “Structures and Psyche” May 5, 2011