Jimmy Robert
born 1975 in Guadeloupelives and works in Brussels
Born in French Guadeloupe, Jimmy Robert works with diverse media including photography, collages, objects, art books, short films and performance art. In his explorations into the relationship between images and objects, Robert draws attention to the dynamics of different surfaces. Questions of identity and its representation are his main interest, and he uses a variety of references to literature, art and music to emphasise the fragility of the materials he uses.
Influenced by the Nouveau Roman genre and particularly by the novels of Marguerite Duras, Robert chooses to blur the meaning of his works. This results in subtle transitions from space to surface, from an image to its concept and from a text to an idea. These transformations of space and content are always placed in relation to the artist’s own body. In his photography, for example, we see the artist’s hand touching the materials, creating a connection between the image and its surroundings. In his performances, by contrast, Robert’s body becomes a projection surface, where the tension between the portrayal and the content reveal the relationship between appropriation and alienation.