Guest post by Karin Félix-Faure

It is a bit difficult for me to describe my meeting with the out of the ordinary painter and sculptor Roland Dutel . He lives near to my place in Dieulefit and one cannot pass in front of his house without being immediately struck by what you see for he has decorated it in a spectacular fashion. I had never been inside of course, but I was curious to find out who this eccentric artist was. I knocked at his door a first time, but no one answered. On another occasion I was lucky. Clearly Roland Dutel was not keen on meeting people who come around wanting to know more about him. He has been interviewed by people from all over the world. His art has been reproduced in many publications and he is much sought by art collectors. The person who opened the door and stood in front of me was for all extents and purposes a real artist, one that not only wants to make art but one who cannot do without it. He transforms into a piece of art everything he can lay his hands on. We went down to his kitchen. Art was all over the place, sculptures in all forms and sizes made by assembling various materials, paintings and collages. I was surprised to see that Roland Dutel collects works by other artists for I have noticed that many artists tend to surround themselves with their own art only.  He told me that what he likes best in art is the unexpected. This seems to resemble him for at times he is voluble and then suddenly falls into long drawn out silences. Every time I imagined I had understood what he was trying to convey he would come up with another aspect of his work, some new dimension to it I had not guessed. To me he and his art are one and the same.

Speaking about his youth Roland Dutel told me that his father used to work 60 hours a week on building sites. During weekends he was exhausted, bad tempered and not easy to get along with. This was a way of life that Roland Dutel wanted to avoid at all costs. At the age of 18 with a group of friends they formed a community and bought a house. There they played music, tended the garden while some of the group would go out and work as masons to earn a living for them all. These were the Hippy years, but he and his companions were down to earth people contrary to those who came from Paris without the faintest idea of how it was to live out in the country.

Roland Dutel further told me that he had suffered a serious accident when he was 20. His skull had been fractured and for two months he was in a coma. He did not go into details, but the experience proved to be a turning point in his life. He had a chance meeting with an artist who sculpted in wood and who gave him a few pieces to try. “We can always use them to make a fire” he added. That is where it all started. Being the son of a workman Roland Dutel quickly became a good carpenter, a craftsman who also loves to build houses, something he does to this day.

Sculptures by Roland Dutel in collaration with Nadine Nacinovic at the entrance of the theatre Le Bled at Souspierre

Roland Dutel is self-taught and someone who knows more about art than many an expert. He literally lives and breathes art passionately. He thanked me for a pleasant encounter and I thanked him for sharing his story. It will have been a memorable meeting.

Watch: Roland DUTEL, artiste à DIEULEFIT »