Laughter in every line
Gadget users take some kidding in the satirical art of Jean Jullian
There were plenty of giggles and hundreds of selfies being taken when French illustrator Jean Jullien opened an exhibition of his cheery artwork in Bangkok last week.
The cartoonish paintings and sculptures will remain on show in “The People Exhibition by Jean Jullien” in CentralWorld’s Groove Zone throughout the year.
Named among the world’s “Most Creative People” of 2015 by industry publication Advertising Age, Jullien is recognisable for his use of simple strokes and distinctive pastels to convey uplifting notions that still have deep if subtle meaning, even when infused with humour, as they usually are.
Among his array of remarkable talents is the inimitable ability to encapsulate everyday urban life with satirical humour that tends to be interpreted in varying ways in different places around the world.
The exhibition on the second-floor Art Wall has several amusing takes on life in Thailand, including our daily rituals.
“It’s called ‘The People Exhibition’ because of the local context, first and foremost,” says the London-based artist. “It has to do with the places people work, eat, drink, shop and walk.
“I always try to have a theme in my work, whether it’s obvious or not. I want to capture people being themselves, and to that I add my usual cast of characters. So it’s a mix of real and imagined people.
“I want to play around with the idea of what forms the mass of people. You have a single person, but ‘people’ means many. The diversity is what makes culture work and what makes it playful. And, when depicted in art, the results can be quite unexpected.”
Jullien says he looks for the symbolic, the universal and the simple, “something everybody can understand easily and share, regardless of where they’re from and whether they’re keen observers of illustration.”
People behave differently in different cities and between coastlines and inland regions, he says.
“You think it’s the same country, but for example there are completely different ways to navigate around each city when you drive. The weather is different. Each place has its own unique history.”
Jullien’s father instilled in him a love of music and comics, while his mother taught him about the fine arts, including architecture and design. He graduated in graphic design from Le Paraclet school in France, where he was introduced to the work of graphic artists and illustrators such as Tomi Ungerer, Raymond Savignac and studio M/M Paris.
He continued his studies at London’s Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design and then earned his master’s degree in communication arts at the Royal College of Art.
Jullien’s signature style has made him one of the world’s most sought-after illustrators. His character-based pieces demonstrate that he’s a sharp observer of life and his surroundings, and usually funny in the way he depicts them in photographs, videos, costumes, books and posters and on clothing.
“The People Exhibition by Jean Jullien” in CentralWorld’s Groove Zone throughout the year. Nation/Anan Chantarasoot
He’s regularly tapped for advertising and design campaigns. His clients have included Nike, Stella Artois, Uniqlo, Eurostar, Verizon and TFL.
The most common subject in Jullien’s art is the relationship between modern society and technology, focusing on our increasing dependence on mobile phones and social networks.
He deals with the alienation people feel in urban settings, utilising irony and sarcasm to gently mock our mistaken belief that technology genuinely connects us with others, while what is actually happening is quite the opposite.
Jullien acknowledges that wit is essential in such interpretations of modern society, especially when commenting on politics. After the triple bomb attacks in Paris in 2015 he drew a peace symbol incorporating the Eiffel Tower into the familiar design. An expression of shock at the terrorist assault and solidarity with the French people, it became his most re-tweeted and shared artwork.
The brush remains Jullien’s preferred graphic instrument.
“That goes back to the way I started working at St Martins in graphic design, but photography had a great influence on me at the same time.
“I was doing a little set, cutting up paper and stuff, and at first there were no black lines in it. I wanted it to look like an interesting drawing. I had to find a way to make it look more voluminous and layered once it was printed.
“So I used a paintbrush to do the lines – it not only creates shadows and gives the drawing more dimension, but there is also that nice element of obvious mistakes that I like. You try to draw a straight line, but it’s not perfect. With the brush, it’s very forgiving about the mistakes you make. And since then I’ve always done my art with a black brush pen!”
Jullien has made his Bangkok exhibition more exceptional by turning his classic characters into large sculptures with which visitors can interact directly.
The most notable piece is “Bright Idea”. It’s a five-metre-tall statue of a young man with a light bulb for a head, perching right out on Rama I Road in front of the mall.
Other pieces in the exhibition depicting characters are “Apple Ballet”, “iPhone Reflection of Oneself”, “Crossword Robot” and “Yellow Dog Awaits Its Owner”. These and other fun figures are stationed all over the first floor in Groove Zone, which has previously hosted successful exhibitions of the work of Tokidoki, Gary Baseman and Jeremy Ville.
