Jean-Pierre Hébert

Drawings from the 2000s

Hébert starts in this phase the development on new line forms, the grid and the filament, to which he applies chance behaviors. He continues to work with sand, in collaboration with David Bothman and Victor Dinovi, and visual music, collaborating with Iannis Zannos. He also creates new etchings in collaboration with Elaine Levasseur and others. During a residency, he gains access to a 24″ wide inkjet printer, as well as improved access to hardware and software, which allow him to create drawings in different sizes, at a very high resolution. His influences in this period range from François Morellet to John Cage and Channa Horwitz.

Drawings from the 1990s

In this phase Hébert experiences an increased understanding of the medium, with better knowledge of the software and tools, that allow him to create his own personal libraries and further experiment creating algorithmic drawings. He mainly produces graphite on paper with pencil lead plotter drawings, but also carries out his first attempts at digital prints and etchings. He also collaborates with fellow artist Roman Verostko on the virtual plotter series and creates installations with sand. His main influences in this work are Max Bill, Hokusai, buddhist art, and zen art.

Drawings from the 1980s

This phase is characterized by Hebert’s full time dedication to drawing with software since 1984. He initially worked with improved small computers and plotters, then in the late eighties had access to a large plotter, UNIX workstations, and better programming languages. With these resources, he created his first large pieces, most of which are ink on paper. According to the artist, at this time his personal style is emerging, “combining fluidity, complexity, lightness and clarity.” The artworks denote influences early chinese paintings and calligraphy, chinese lattices, and islamic tilings, as well as the writings of Benoit Mandelbrot and the book Tilings and Patterns by Branko Grünbaum and Geoffrey Colin Shephard.