It is precisely in dualities that Anne-Lise Coste’s art finds its power: between gravity and lightness, between impulsiveness and abidance.
Anne-Lise Coste’s works possess a strong sense of immediacy that comes from her approach to painting: she usually paints in one shot, unleashing all her energy, ideas, and intuition onto the canvas. The vibrance of airbrushing resonates with the vitality of her work, as well as adding a graffiti-like aesthetic that instantly invigorates the political aspect. On the other hand, Coste is not scared of accident or imperfection; polishing is an act of masquerading the nature of things.
Oftentimes we can observe a high sense of lyricism in her work as a result of an infancy full of literature. The literary works of Rimbaud, Baudelaire, and other prominent French writers were a shelter in which to immerse herself and acquire a sensitive vocabulary which she would later set free in her work. Expressing romance, sadness, bliss, disappointment, or exultation, Coste's work is most definitely poetic. On the other hand, the use of words in her work can be sharp, to the point; no metaphor needed. Just like signs in demonstrations, her writing also channels rebellion and discomfort, yet the messages are provocative. Coste takes ownership of slurs and curse words and, by hanging them on the wall, does not allow a way-out: we are confronted by their crudeness. The same angst, however, can also be conveyed in a poetical manner and bathed in a bright palette that reveals a tense synergy between violence and beauty. It is precisely in dualities that Coste’s art finds its power: between gravity and lightness, between impulsiveness and abidance.
Influenced by the formal languages of Dada and Art Brut, her work exudes irony, rebellion and emotion. She creates seemingly decorative compositions that actually offer us a catalogue of contemporary anxieties, where the immediacy of the gesture of drawing combines a strong poetic sense with an element of social critique
Anne-Lise Coste was born in Marignane, France. She studied fine arts in Marseille and in Zurich, after which she was based in New York before settling down in France. She now lives and works between Orthoux and Paris.