French artist César Piette's use of traditional techniques connects him to the history of figurative painting: monochromatic layers, perspective, light, composition, and very significant shading effects. Painted with an airbrush, his 'hyperplastic' images include three-dimensional effects, intersecting with design, photography, and advertising. His subjects remain resolutely classical: a nude, a bird, a vanitas. Although he comes out of the practice of illustration and the world of comics and video games, Piette rejects the influence of digital imagery and conceives of his work as a construction game. Here, the artificial object is emphasized and the playful nature of the toy is taken seriously and combined with art historical references.
