At its core, Max Patté’s practice is an exploration of the infinite qualities of light and how it is expressed in the natural world manifested into physical works in the studio. Advances in modern technologies are a constant source of inspiration to the production of Patté’s work. The latest developments in an array of computer programs, iPad apps, CNC Milling, digital scanning and 3D printing are all employed on a day to day basis in his studio.
Light, colour, tone and saturation all have a direct effect on our mood; changing our emotions as much as our environment. Through the use of colour and light Patté’s practice, which spans light works, painting and sculpture, endeavours to emit the same effect. Patté aims to change the space in which the work is viewed and alter the viewers’ relationship to that space. In much the same way that our immediate natural environment prompts a physiological change, Patté aims to produce work that offers a multi-sensory experience that provokes an emotional response.
Patté’s highly collected Infinity Works are an interplay of colour, space, light and shape, a twist on the fundamental characteristics of painting, art and design. Coloured glowing bodies appear to float in infinite space, the spaces between them like black holes that invite inspection, pulling the viewer into their glossy dark depths. These playful works or experiences are in equal measure about the dark space between the coloured patterns as the works themselves. They can be viewed as paintings or sculptures or simply as objects of illusion and intrigue.
Following on from the Infinity Works the Droplet series is inspired by Patté’s exploration of visual glitches, where an image fails to load in an app and is broken down into its base colour components, lacking the detail of the original image rendering the content illegible. Contrary to this exploration of the digital world and how we now consume images through apps and social media Patté has manifested physical works in the studio using the technology he has at his fingertips. The end result is a visual sculpture comprised of a multitude of colours, each one resting in a perfect spherical mass. The negative space between the artwork and frame cast shadows which draw us closer and it is then that the work reveals its spherical qualities. Light from one domed droplet bounces off and merges with its neighbour creating new shades unique to each combination. Reminiscent of rain drops on a window the suspended motion of the droplets create works with a distinct and visually playful experience.
In 2019 Patté spent 4 months overseas with the Horizon paintings being a direct result of the colour palettes, landscapes and sky-scapes Patté experienced during this time. Heralding a coalescence of the circular motif and the visual abstraction of a photograph into an anthology of colour; each painting takes its inspiration from a slice of a photographic image. The titles are a geo location and time stamp which serves to anchor the work to the exact time and place of its origin.
