“Images
of the flowers world”
Water-colors
inspired to the Japanese technique sumi-è
« To paint
flowers, is imitate what nature has of most pleasent and most
fascinating ; flowers seems in fact created for seducing the
eyes, and it's to the painter, in particular to the water-colorist,
to pay a tribute to their beauty ».
Henry Guédy, Nuovo
manuale completo di pittura ad acquarello, 1903.
These water-colors that have
essentially a decorative vocation, were born from the artist's
interest for Asian art, and more particularly for the technique
of the Japanese « zen » painting, said
Sumi-e.The technique as
well as the thematic have this source of common inspiration
in her work.
Japanese art has influenced French painters since the end
of the XIX century : not only the impressionists (the renowned
Ninfees of Monet
or the series of almond tree in
flower of Van Gogh)
but also Nabis's painters.
Realized with a process inspired to Sumi-e
painting, these water-colors are centered on the floral world
and what is connected to it (insects, fishes...). We can find
some recurrent subjects of the universe of Asian engravings
ukiyoe ("The fluctuating
world") : giant peonies (China's flower), flowers of
lotus, orchids, dragonflies in flight and red carps.
 To
these subjects, other inspiring images more frequent in the
botanical imagery (like poppies, dandelions, iris and butterflies),
or in the italian cinquecento still lives, are added. In the
series of monochrome water-colors, the views in first plan
also refers to the modern and geometric compositions of Carl
Blossfeldt's botanical photos.
In general, the shots exalt the asymmetry and marry long sizes
typical of the Asian culture, using the white spaces as full
forms. Finally, as in the “zen” painting, the
realization is gestural. Every form is created by a gesture
studied on purpose. The search is the essentialness, the simplicity
and the naturalness directed to reveal the essence of the
things.
A formal simplicity that we can, in such sense, unite to the
condensed language of the “haiku's”
poems.
Orchid breathing
incense into
butterfly wings.
Matsuo Bashò
Interview by Pauline Pons
Could
you return on your studies dedicated to history of art as
well as painting?
Yes, these years spent between France and Italy have permitted
me to have a intellectual preparation. By learning painting
techniques, I have also realized that art requiers a serious
technical background, and quotidian discipline.
After
studing occidental art, your interest has moved for the Asian
art. Why ?
I think that I needed to explore new ways of paintings. The
calligraphy and the Japanese « zen »
painting, said Sumi-e, discovered after a trip in Asia, was
like finding the opposite of the occidental painting based
on preparatory drawing. Japanese painting is gestural, and
requieres a preparatory work on the gesture and the form which
is really different. And these has fascinated me.
Japanese art has also influenced French painters like the
Nabis, that I like very much. What I particularly apreciate
in their works is the semplification of the line, the grafic
design and the abstraction of the space.
I revisit myself some subjects of Asian engravings : giant
peonies (China's flower), dragonflies in flight and red carps.
Like
the French Nabis painters, you've found in the japanese art
a decorativ dimension. Do you aspire to the creation of a
decorative art ? What do you mean by decorative?
Yes, these water-colors have also a decorative vocation, in
other words to compose and dialogue with a space, to reveal
it. The very big formats, the diptical or tryptical compositions
exalt often the proportions of the spaces that they decorate.
The floral motiv and the white backgrounds give also the aspect
of wall paper or patterns to my works.
Which
rule plays the technique in the creation of your watercolours?
The technic is essential. For me art born above all from the
material, and this subtle interaction between the material
and instrument. In my works, the realization is gestural,
that means that every form is created by a gesture studied
on purpose. My search is to reveal threw a simple form the
essence of the things. A formal simplicity that we can, in
such sense, compare to the condensed language of the “haiku's”poems.
Do
you consider beauty like one of the essential finality of
art ?
Beauty is one of the essential finality of my work, but I
appreciate also artists that don't put beauty at the first
plan of their art.
How
do you situate yourself in the contemporary creation ?
I apreciate a lot of things of the contemporary art even if
I'm linked also to more traditionnal techniques. I have interest
particularly for the question of the occupation of the space,
the change of scale, the use of not traditionnal materials,
particularly in the sculpture. I think that my work answers
to some of these questions in the way I usewatercolor technique,
too often reduced to small formats.
Could
you give us three words that illustrate your work ?
essential, poetic, suggestive |
