2017 

"chaotic desires"[1]

My characters as a rule are mostly ‘manimals’, either grotesque or threatening. They invite the viewers to ponder, to shake preconceived ideas and to question themselves on the meaning of our lives. They are represented by deformed bodies, summarised by   their extremities, rather repulsive but full of revealing dark corners, in a permanent state of struggle.
 In my painting ‘essays’, I am trying to expose all the people who are disconnected, wounded, or just simply unsuited to the whirlwind of our modern life, with a mixture of poetry and grating humour.
My purpose is to observe difficult things, scrutinise the darkest corners, where there are rumbles under the surface, to uncover unpalatable truths and fight against a brutal world that ‘I cannot bear in painting’. 
Finally, I want to remember words and laughter in order to ward off the worst. I want to inject a bit of light-heartedness in the face of life seriousness and, as Samuel Beckett (my favourite playwright) used to say ’not to forget the valuable mistakes we make since they reveal a little about ourselves’….
[1] ‘chaotic desires’ - Inspired by the title of a play from the theatre company “Les Pêcheurs de rêve”

Traduction : Corinne Martin
 


2016

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Rêverie, a waking dream or an observation of human beings interacting with each other and with their own bodies where life ‘hiccups’. Half visible and half hidden, a ‘manimal’ body sketched by   its extremities in order to show his/her essence. I’m trying to gain a deep and heartfelt understanding of what’s below the surface by revisiting old wounds and impalpable fears.  
Re: the state of human ties. I’m still working on this and particulary on the link with our childhood – as if a smile could save us from the worst and also a link to future generations – a society under the influence of digital world.  
Rejig   the grey areas, dust accumulated over time, cement. The grey void, a ‘between’ space that enables me to capture the vibrations, the imagination and the flow of strengths and weaknesses around me. And to incorporate in my work foreign bodies, tiny abandoned debris but nonetheless integral part of the world. And to add a few words gleaned here and there to feed   my painting ‘languomittment’  
My aim is to keep exploring the state of human ties and question every wound, every fear. What is left of our speech after we have finished our phonetic grazing is the quintessential tool needed for painting - words heard or listened to, bilingual spoken language, crumbling poetry...
A written text sometimes appears next to a painting. In my  "état des liens" collection, I started with  "lecorpersist", an expression made up after listening to contemporary poets whose words "cling" to your body. Many more words born from generous donors, from everyday life, from the streets, and anything from the theatre world,... provide an irresistible springboard for my painted rumblings as I strive to create a "representative epiphany", an expression that adequately summarizes the flavour sought and the meaning, or lack of, in my quest to explore the human race, and or its environment.

Traduction Corinne Martin
 

 Whatdoyamean - 2013

Too ambiguous to be genuine that face, toutètaboudner ! what does it mean, this life where speech is nowhere to be heard or where lies are uttered ; wanderings of frustated touches !
You, the artist with a sad face, staring at blurred faces with appetizing irregularities, think of fading in the background ! You are losing it with your experiments when you explore to see if there is any echo inside ! Who are you, humanimal ? Still using a pointless pictorial gesture, which might be obsolete in 2013 ? You've poked the relief look ; it has been oozed out, the mask has been torn off. Dig the nail in that head, portrait with a crumbly façade. Life has no meaning so let's go, the window is ajar and, with it, display intrinsic humanity like meeting somebody new, fugitive intuition and extreme care !  but whatdoyamean ?

Traduction Corinne Martin