Reviewed by Peter Gaechter

La chute des Templiers by Jo Meynent

Jo Meynent opened his second one-man show in as many years at the Palais d’Athenée Tuesday 1 September. Last year’s expo was more of a retrospective. Its success, however, paved the way for today’s show, in which Meynent presents many new works, most quite large. The dominant theme – in a show that is eclectic in style and especially in mood – is colour. Meynent is a master of colour, and this show demonstrates the breadth of his use of colour.

His new triptych, Visions d’un griot, are three related canvases with strong outlines of strangely nebulous animals, expressed in strong  primary colours. A winter scene, Le Grand Nord, is something that evokes either peace or utter desolation, painted with bleak greys, whites, and darks, a winter landscape of the soul.

His range is perhaps best appreciated in the smaller, secondary room that holds 17 smaller pieces. It is almost like a second exposition.

The works on display are few, a total of only about 35 works, and the multiplicity of styles can be disconcerting to some. In part this is because Meynent’s oeuvre covers almost 30 years and he has an enormous stock of paintings, only some of which are on show. This outward diversity is brought together by a theme that runs through all of his work: a singularity of spirit, a mix of fantasy and mysticism.

Totem by Jo Meynent

L'homme qui doute by Jo Meynent

An inveterate collecter of civilization’s detritus, Meynent has sprinkled his show with objets that he has fashioned into pieces worthy of being called art. His totem guards a corner, and a crippled galvanized iron grill says heaps about things that served a purpose but no longer do. My favourite is the “eyes in the bell”. For a totally zen moment, though, look at the two smooth, round stones from a  mountain stream with a horseshoe nail in each.

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