Jean-Jacques Lebel

The work

Unchain my Heart
1985
Metal, wood, leather, fabric, electricity, frame
110 x 106 x 32 cm

The work creates a secular and contemporary version of a classic Madonna. In the central part, an image of an African-American woman holds a bright red three-dimensional heart in her hand, against a background of wood painted with naive motifs. In the upper part, like a neo-Gothic frame, leather reins intended for the control of a cavalry hold two images of the vision of Bernadette Subirou in the cave of Lourdes, one glued onto a circular piece of wood and the other illuminated and upside down. All of this imbues the air of a small domestic chapel. The title calls for the liberation of a heart, imprisoned in love.

The artist

(Paris, 1936)

All of Jean-Jacques Lebel’s works are created by assembling objects found or collected throughout the artist’s life. None of them are the result of traditional artistic techniques. We could speak of a collage or assemblage guided by a sudden idea.
In J.-J. Lebel’s influences from Ready-Made, Surrealism, and Neo-Dadaism are clearly evident. The title, Unchain My Heart, and the image convey a certain erotic content. Since 1960, he has been constantly active in the most radical spheres of contemporary art.