Exhibition "Architecture, batiks and poetry", tribute to Jean Latour

The artist
Jean Latour was born in 1907 and studied at the Fine Arts Schools of Geneva, Paris, and London.
In Môtiers, where he lived, he devoted himself to artistic activities and created a wide variety of works, using different techniques: painting on canvas, lithography, batik, serigraphy, aluminum sculpture. For his work, he received several awards and participated in numerous exhibitions throughout Switzerland and around the world: France, Italy, Brazil, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Belgium...
Additionally, he also carried out various decorative and architectural works for schools, swimming pools, clinics, and buildings. Jean Latour notably created cast aluminum doors for the housing sculpture project by architect Daniel Grataloup in Anières, as well as mobile liturgical furniture in aluminum casting for the St-Jean temple in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Jean Latour also devoted himself to writing, particularly poetry, and was interested in philosophy. In 1966, he published "Poems". In 1973, he released a collection of his dreams titled "700 Dreams" and a collection of poems titled "The Escalating Staircase" at Editions IDEA in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Jean Latour passed away in 1973.
With the exhibition "Architecture, Batiks, and Poetry," his son, Sandro Latour, wishes to pay tribute to him.

The exhibition

The batiks presented in this exhibition are part of a true ancestral craftsmanship that has traversed continents and centuries. It involves a complex textile dyeing process.

Firstly, the part of the fabric that needs to be preserved from any coloring is covered with wax. Then, the fabric is dipped into a dye bath. The color then permeates all areas except those previously waxed. Finally, the fabric is dried and then immersed in boiling water to melt the wax, revealing the pattern or protected surface. This process is repeated several times if the batik has multiple colors. This is indeed the case with those created by Jean Latour.

The steps have been repeated for each color, from the darkest to the lightest.

For this exhibition, each batik presented is linked to a poem by the same artist. Please make sure to have your phones ready to scan the QR codes present at the exhibition.