Mathieu Mercier

Mathieu Mercier is a French painter born in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in 1970. He lives and works in Paris. He holds a degree from the École nationale supérieure d'art de Bourges and the Institut des hautes études en arts plastiques of Paris.

Mathieu Mercier's work explores the relationship between contemporary mass-produced consumer objects and their aesthetic origins in early 20th Century art and design. He frequently employs common household and industrial materials to create his sculptural, photographic, and wall-based works.

Mercier's work often refers to utopian movements such as De Stijl and Russian Constructivism. One series of sculptures, titled 'Drum and Bass', recreates classic Mondrain compositions out of black DIY shelving and primary-colored household objects such as plastic bins, extension cables, and stationary folders. In 'Plastic Anchors Wall', Mercier again traces the use of primary colors from early Modernist art, through to their function as color coding for different sizes of screw anchors. By creating a dialogue between utopian art and design icons and contemporary mass-produced objects, Mercier highlights the evolution of the meaning of "modernity", from a social project, to a capital gain.