Jean-Luc Mylayne: The Vincent Van Gogh of the 21st Century

Throughout the summer, Long Museum opened several new art galleries for public viewing in Shanghai. Filled with displays of wonderful pieces of art by indigenous artists, the museum boasts a diverse range of collaborations with professional curators around the world. Still in display this fall until December 8, 2019, the Long Museum is presenting the first solo exhibition of Jean-Luc Mylayne, a French artist and photogapher, comprised of forty of his works done between 1979 and 2008. Unlike other solo exhibitions, however, the Long Museum intends to portray the conceptual connections that can be seen between the works of Mylayne and Vincent Van Gogh, two separate artists who lived in different time periods, yet had a similar style and perspective.

Jean-Luc Mylayne, born in 1946 France, created several pieces of art since his youth and curated his own art exhibition as he grew older. A common motif throughout his art is a bird, appearing distorted and blurred. Mylayne explained that he focused on the bird as an individual rather than as a specimen of a particular breed, so every piece that he created includes a bird in motion.

In order to capture vivid pictures of rural landscapes and natural habitats, Mylayne took months and even years to practice and prepare. Eventually, with his extensive knowledge of photography, he was able to take breathtaking photographs that depicted landscapes in an accurate yet stylized way. Just like Vincent Van Gogh, Mylayne made respective approaches towards the natural world, and attempted to reveal his own style and worldview through his art. This exhibition is the grand product of Mylayne’s forty years of photography.

The Long Museum is opening other exhibitions such as Sang Huoyao’s Solo Exhibition, Mark Bradford: Los Angeles, and The Unruly Style. The museum’s opening hours are every Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, at 3398 Longteng Avenue, Xuhui District Shanghai.

For additional information, please check out this website.

Featured Image — N°407, Avril Mai 2006 Courtesy of Jean-Luc Mylayne

By Amy Kang