Introduction to René Mayer’s technique
In the field of abstract painting in Switzerland, René Mayer is an artist who stands out for his original way of combining technique and philosophical thought. His work is part of a current artistic series that goes beyond the norms of abstract art to examine invisible changes in the world.
Imperceptible Shift is not just a collection of works; it’s a large-scale artistic project showing the idea of change, the passage of time and the interplay between matter and concept. In this series, Mayer makes the bold choice of using casino chips, taking them out of the context of gambling to turn them into symbols of change and transformation. The chips are colored using a precise method designed to represent the gradual nature of change.
This process, based on controlled immersions in color, gives each work a particular strength, where transformation is visible in the delicate nuances. This article will explore the artistic universe of René Mayer, breaking down the different phases in the creation of his pieces and highlighting the unique methods he uses to give new meaning to artistic materials. We’ll see how this Swiss artist changes the rules of contemporary art through an approach that is both experimental and systematic, from the preparation of the canvas to the coloring of casino chips and their integration into his works.
Painting conception: from idea to sketch
Each work in the Imperceptible Shift series begins with an in-depth design phase, combining technical and artistic vision. Before touching his materials, René Mayer engages in demanding preliminary work, mentally and graphically creating the foundations of his work. Through detailed sketches, he defines the shapes, motifs and colors that will make up the final painting.
These initial drawings are not mere drafts, but reflective blueprints for anticipating every interaction between color, light and form. This design stage is crucial, as it guides the entire creative process. Mayer leaves nothing to chance: each element is carefully designed to fit into the overall composition. This methodology demonstrates his dedication to introspective Swiss art, where every detail is important and contributes to the visual narrative.
In addition, social influences in art are important at this stage. Mayer is interested in the subtle changes affecting our world, and this is reflected from the very first sketches. Every stroke and nuance is thought through to represent a transition, an evolution that the viewer can perceive and interpret. Thus, from the very first stroke, the artist establishes a dialogue between art and society, subtly integrating references to the discrete changes that influence our everyday environment.
Preparing the canvas: René Mayer’s original technique
Before beginning to paint, Mayer prepares his canvas by stretching it using a method he has developed over the years. Unlike conventional techniques, which can affect the tension of the support over time, his method ensures stability and a flat surface, ready to receive layers of paint and casino chips.
This process is both technical and essential to the durability of his work. Poorly managed tension can cause deformations on the canvas, affecting the visual and structural integrity of the work. Mayer therefore ensures that each canvas is carefully prepared, using quality materials and a precise protocol based on his Swiss artistic expertise.
His dedication to this preparation demonstrates his desire to combine tradition and innovation in abstract art. For him, the canvas is not just a support: it is an integral part of the final work, and must interact harmoniously with the colors and textures. His method enhances pigment nuances and improves the adhesion of casino sheets, key elements in his Imperceptible Shift series. To find out more about this technique, a video is available:
Preparing the canvas base using René Mayer’s technique
Once the canvas has been prepared using René Mayer’s original method, he creates a background using a mixture of acrylic colors and pigments. This mixture produces very intense colors, providing a visual depth that defines his style. Each layer is carefully thought out to interact with the light and the materials he will add later.
Painting is not just about filling the canvas: Mayer uses the transparency and opacity of colors to create relief effects. His work demonstrates a mastery of artistic techniques, revealing his role among artists who explore change through color and texture. To enrich the surface, he applies a technique of dabbing the background with pieces of wood and tea towels. This gives texture to his work and creates patterns that contrast with the organization of the casino chips.
This balance between control and chance reinforces the impact of his environmental paintings, prompting the public to reflect on the discreet changes in our world. The influence of chance in the creation of the background underlines the duality of the Imperceptible Shift series: a contrast between mastery of technique and the passage of time. This approach gives each painting a distinct dynamic, making each work unique. A demonstration of this step can be seen in the following video:
Preparing casino chips: Planning and initial dyeing in the “Imperceptible Shift” series
Casino chips are at the heart of the Imperceptible Shift series. More than just objects, they represent images of change, embodying the idea of transformation over time. Before adding them to the painting, careful preparation is required to ensure that the different colors harmonize and arrange themselves well on the canvas.
Based on his precise sketches, Mayer precisely determines the number of chips to be used for each work, taking into account possible losses, trials and adjustments. This anticipation is crucial to maintaining color consistency and ensuring a smooth visual progression. This detailed method shows the importance Mayer places on the preparation of a canvas, where every aspect is meticulously planned.
Each sheet is first tinted with a uniform base color, serving as a background for subsequent color changes. This method ensures that color transitions remain under control, while allowing the artist a certain freedom to play with light and layers of color. This preparation process, which can take several weeks, demonstrates not only Mayer’s technical expertise, but also his connection to a thoughtful Swiss art, where every nuance and detail is carefully considered.
By using this precise method in his work, Mayer transforms a material usually associated with play into a means of expression and contemplation, demonstrating how modern Swiss art can reinvent everyday objects into symbols of an artistic language deeply rooted in a changing worldview.
René Mayer’s progressive coloring technique: Diving into the gutter
Mayer’s technique is unique in its progressive coloring of casino chips. It transforms everyday objects into meaningful visual elements. This complicated method creates subtle color variations, highlighting the discreet mutations at the heart of his artistic approach.
Mayer begins by applying a uniform base color to each card. He attaches them in groups of 27 to an aluminum bar, which gives him good control during immersion and ensures even color application. Next, he dips the plugs into a pool of liquid pigment, carefully adjusting their immersion depth according to where they will be placed on the canvas. This precise work enables him to create controlled gradations, giving a visual fluidity to his works.
This technique goes beyond aesthetics; it is linked to the philosophy of his contemporary art series. By allowing color to slowly penetrate the material, Mayer visually illustrates the transition between two states, the known and the unknown, between stability and change. Each sheet, with its mutation of color, becomes a metaphor for social influences in art, evoking the discrete changes that shape our societies.
This method demands a high degree of technical mastery, where precision is essential. Each card must be placed exactly where it is supposed to be on the canvas. This rigor reflects Mayer’s vision of his work as a combination of artistic experimentation and perfection. By incorporating this innovative method, he demonstrates his commitment to expanding the horizons of contemporary Swiss art, combining rigorous execution with deep reflection. To see this process, a video is available :
Drying and arranging the casino chips: rigorous organization
After the progressive coloring of the casino chips is finished, careful drying is important to maintain the evenness and quality of the product. Mayer follows a rigid process by placing the tinted plugs upside down, which helps to evacuate excess paint. This method prevents the formation of unwanted bumps, guaranteeing good color distribution and a clean finish. Drying is more than just waiting; it’s a key step in the process.
How the sheets dry influences their use in the final artwork. Mayer makes sure that each card retains its ideal color and intensity, so that René Mayer’s acrylic painting reflects the hues intended in his sketches. When the chips are completely dry, they are carefully organized.
Each card is marked and listed according to its precise location on the canvas, facilitating the next step: collage. This method demonstrates the care taken in preparing a canvas, where order and precision are as critical as artistic composition.
This organization proves Mayer’s Swiss artistry, where rigor and exacting standards underpin a work where every element has its place. This level of detail ensures visual coherence in the final picture, where the arrangement of the chips follows a clearly defined logic of color and structure.
Gluing casino chips to canvas: precision and expertise
The integration of casino chips on canvas is the result of a detailed creative process, in which every aspect has been carefully planned. This step requires a great deal of technical skill, combining precision and artistic flair.
To ensure proper layout, Mayer has created his own templates, precision tools that help him place each card with millimetric care. This method reinforces the visual structure of the work and ensures consistency in the layout of the elements. On a 180 x 140 cm canvas, around 600 chips are glued one by one, forming a complex mosaic.
Achieving this requires patience and dexterity, as each card has to be placed according to a defined plan. This is where Mayer’s artistry comes into its own, where precision and foresight are crucial to achieving a balanced whole. This work is not just a simple aesthetic assembly: each plug has a specific role in the composition and contributes to the story the work tells. Through this process, Mayer examines the relationship between repetition and variation, between rigor and flexibility.
This approach is in keeping with the tradition of artists who explore transformations, where progressive change is essential to the creative process. The end result is an acrylic painting by René Mayer in which each element is integrated into a balanced dialogue between color, texture and composition. The chips, which become elements of a visual language, enrich the dynamic reading of the painting, evoking the social influences that inspire Mayer’s work. A demonstration of this step is available in the following video:
Using the pendulum for the background: Creating elliptical patterns
In some works, René Mayer uses a pendulum filled with paint to enrich his creations. The pendulum moves over the canvas, creating elliptical patterns that add a dynamic, random touch to the work.
This method, which combines control and chance, illustrates the invisible forces that affect changes in our environment. The pendulum’s movement follows natural paths, producing unexpected patterns that contrast with the geometric order of the carefully placed casino chips. This balance between rigidity and surprise is part of René Mayer’s broader reflection on discrete changes, where each part of the canvas represents a metaphor for the discrete transitions that influence our understanding of time and space.
By letting gravity influence the movement of the painting, Mayer draws on scientific research into chaos and regularity. The pendulum, like a tool measuring invisible forces, visually translates phenomena that, although natural, are often beyond our sight. This approach, typical of contemporary Swiss art, brings an experimental dimension to his works, where the unexpected enriches the overall structure.
The end result is fluid and orderly, creating a striking contrast between the raw energy of the gesture and the precision of the index chips. This technique places Mayer among those artists who explore change, where the combination of new techniques and philosophical reflections leads to immersive works. Each movement of the pendulum becomes a trace of the passage of time, reinforcing the idea of continuous transformation that characterizes the Imperceptible Shift series.
Conclusion: A revolutionary approach to artistic transformation
René Mayer’s work, especially his original method of coloring casino chips in the Imperceptible Shift series, presents a distinct vision of contemporary Swiss art. Through a careful process that combines precise technique, personal reflection and choice of color, he transforms an everyday object into a means of exploring profound themes about time, change and the interplay between accident and control.
His art is not just a technical demonstration; it brings a fresh angle on social influences in art, highlighting the notion of gradual change through subtle variations and orderly structure. For those who love abstract art, Mayer’s method allows you to plunge into a world where color and composition interact with a rare depth.
His pieces prompt the public to reflect on what remains unseen and on the discreet changes that influence our view of the world. Fans of environmental paintings can see in them a reflection of the invisible forces affecting our society and our living environment. Art students can learn from Mayer’s technique, which blends experimentation and precision. His approach shows how to develop a concept through a clear and innovative visual vocabulary.
By studying his methods of coloring and placing casino chips, they learn to combine meticulousness and conceptual thinking in their projects. Although Mayer is best known as a painter, he takes a keen interest in materials and textures in his sculptural works in marble and granite. His style, which makes use of usually non-artistic objects, sheds new light on how everyday objects can be reimagined to convey a strong artistic message.
Finally, art bloggers and influencers can find inspiration in his work to enrich their content. The multitude of innovative techniques he employs, his method that fuses abstraction and social commentary, and the uniqueness of his visual style make him an artist to highlight. By presenting his works, they help promote an innovative approach that redefines abstract art practices.
In short, René Mayer’s pieces are not just aesthetically pleasing; they represent a reflection on subtle change and offer a significant interplay between tradition and modernity, accident and control, observation and artistic engagement. His work on casino chips is a veritable lesson in technique and sensibility, worthy of interest to anyone with a passion for the evolution of contemporary art.
