L’Atlas: Paul Ardenne

L’Atlas is a Parisian artist born in 1978. Fascinated by handwriting from an early age, he moves to different Arabic countries in the 1990s to study calligraphy. In France, he starts by graffiti art, which he combines with his great passion for writing. A balance between form and letter is since then at the heart of his practice. He uses spray paint, scotch tape or gaffer on various supports: canvas, pavement, buildings’ facades, etc. and is also well-known for his performances. L’Atlas creates his own labirynthical alphabet which, inked in the city, invites us to question the universality of the language and the limits of illegibility. This monograph presents many variations of artist’s codified language. Between Optical Art, abstraction, street art, Pop Art and Minimalism, L’Atlas’ art is multifaceted.