Bernard Piffaretti: Je n’ai jamais peint un tableau récent

In this instance, the exhibition is comprised of paintings made over a span of thirty years, and traces back to some of the earliest pieces made using Piffaretti’s signature motif.

In addition to the division of his canvases, there are other facets that can also be traced through Piffaretti’s practice. For example, Untitled (1990) features a sequence of crossed red lines forming a lattice structure and Untitled (2008) presents a series of multicolored bulbous shapes, both recurring elements within his larger body of work.
 
Piffaretti's commitment to looking back, whether immediately with his mirrored canvases or historically through references, is central to his method. In the same vein, the exhibition’s title, an adoption of a 1969 quote by Man Ray directly translating to “I have never painted a recent painting,” is a nod to Piffaretti’s belief that no work is ever truly new. To him, nothing is without precedent. As well as referencing his own previous pieces, the artist has cited influence from an array of painters, ranging from the likes of Marcel Duchamp and Henri Matisse to Barnett Newman and Andy Warhol. The works resulting from Piffaretti’s “system” act as a physical representation of the artist’s inclination to question the traditions and institution of painting.