Franck Noto
Franck Noto is the ambassador of a style that has longtime freely borrowed from the world of abstract art: where color is the fuel and movement is the driving force.
Calling into question every notion of aesthetic stagnation, he diligently forces himself to create works of art that blend together his different influences, giving way to a unique and identifiable style.
Born in Montpellier, his acquired abstract style did not keep him from losing sight of any of the figurative urges or taggings that graffiti taught him from his early days. His surefire gift of drawing, allowed him to work side by side with some of the best taggers and graffiti artists from a pioneering generation.
The vibrant memories of rattling spray cans in his backpack, always looking for the next vacant lot; these are the experiences that solidified the artistic personality you see today.
Joining the TDM brotherhood, their paintings would take them across the world from New York to Nouméa in New Caledonia, to many other major European capitals. As the walls got higher and the projects multiplied, Franck Noto perfected his style while consistently pushing the boundaries of classic graffiti.
He operates in a universe that is suggestive: from his pseudonym, to his cubic forms, but above all his feminine silhouettes. Having spent years meticulously honing his observation skills, Franck Noto has acquired an absolute mastery of the human gesture, bodily proportions, and the most sophisticated body postures.
Through a plethora of mediums: markers, paint rollers, spray cans, and brushes, a woman’s curves are generously magnified even if they remain elusive amidst the splashes of color and drawn out lines. And therein lies the embodiment of Franck Noto’s experimental character and his appeal to the abstract.
His compositions revolve around gestures, a contemporary nod to the untamed graffiti that left a lasting impact on him. Lines cross projections of projected paint then bite into rigidly applied flat surfaces; Franck Noto presents us with a work of art that has been carefully thought out, even meditated.
His desire to consistently explore new ways of expressing his ambitions has lead to experiments with sculpture, the material embodying abstract forms. His collaborations with Agnès b. and Philippe Starck also prove that neither design nor fashion can escape his inquisitive eye.
But one cannot talk about Franck Noto without talking about color, his obsession. Franck Noto combines color like a writer would string together conjugated words, gracefully sharing his visual language, with all its nuances, structured just right to put a sparkle in your eye.
It is a recognizable language, and an invigorating experience. He admits to having a weakness for fluorescent colors and reveals that it is not uncommon for him to embark on impressive researches for color combinations while working on gradients or chiaroscuros. With pastel hues and bright colors, and daring uses of white and gray, your eye is immediately drawn to his work and gratified by his harmonious compositions.
At the crossroads of his countless experiences stemming from the entire history of art, his works make use of certain undeniable techniques that only come from many years of consistency and curiosity. His paintings add a breadth of wealth to the contemporary graffiti movement as well as the collections of painting enthusiasts in the broadest sense of the term. His style will continue to evolve as long as he continues to listen to his visual art aspirations.
