FINAL BLOG POST

There are two reasons why the present August 2021 blog post is special.

In the first place it is the last one of a long series of interviews, I have thoroughly enjoyed doing, in two languages – some thirty – with artists living and working in the Drôme. The purpose was to draw attention to the fact that our particular region of France is a treasure trove full of creative talents. If at the same time I may have in some way contributed in helping the artists concerned in making their work more largely known, all the better, they deserve it! I also wish to say how much I owe to my daughter Karin who has contributed at different levels in preparing the Blog. Without her assistance I would most certainly have got lost in the maddening mysteries of the online world. I must also deeply thank Maurice and Ann Todd as well as Cathy Grisel who have so graciously accepted to be the proof-readers respectively of my English and French texts.

Secondly, the subject of this Blog post is an Exhibition at the gallery “Au Point d’Art” which I would like to consider as the closing piece, the capstone, of “Provence Reflections” in its present form. It would give me great pleasure if many of my readers were among its visitors.

Exhibition at “Au Point d’Art” in Charols from 12 to 15 August

A few months ago, Albert van Gulik who is the owner the gallery “Au Point d’Art” was approached by the organisers of the upcoming Biennale of Charols 2021 from 12 to 15 August. Would he be prepared to participate in the event by hosting an art exhibition in his gallery? After giving the matter some thought Albert contacted me to ask my opinion. We decided that it should be a special event comprising two components. On the one hand the works of 4 artists who have previously been interviewed for the Blog: Laurent Félix-Faure (abstract and figurative paintings), Albert van Gulik (realistic paintings), Anna Puig Rosado (photos), Anke de Vries (collages), and on the other hand, there will be a large selection of paintings and graphic works by top rated artists from various countries who were part of a private collection. Besides well-known Dutch artists like Corneille and Karel Appel who are important international figures in the field of contemporary art, there will be works by Jan van Diemen and Piet Warffemius. There will also be a choice of outstanding works by Asian artists such as Lim Poh Tek and Dominique Chan (Singapore), who both have received many international awards, Damrong Jarvameri (Thailand), Chris Coffey (USA) and others.

The exhibition will therefore be an interesting mix of works by contemporary artists who come from different horizons and cultures, and the comparison in particular between East and West should prove to be especially appealing to art lovers.

Contemporary art is the art of now and how artists explore and experience everyday life. It is certainly true that artists nowadays, more than ever before, are influenced by global developments. However, a peek beyond our frontiers can be enlightening for as the French say it is “la petite différence” that counts and, in this case, the little difference is quite perceptible. Last but not least, the event will be held at an attractive location. Albert van Gulik’s beautifully renovated old road inn comprises a fully equipped and spacious gallery in which the art works stand out particularly well. The gallery “Au Point d’Art” is situated right at the entrance of the village of Charols. Those who have crossed the village driving down the departmental road D6 will immediately recognise on the roundabout the impressive wooden carriage gateway doors that have become something of a landmark.

The Charols Biennale 2021

The exhibition at the gallery “Au Point d’Art” is part of the Charols Biennale 2021, an event that has been running for a number of years. It is very popular and this year it has been extended to include a large number of varied activities. The organisers have mapped out an ambitious cultural route in the village designed to form a comprehensive whole made up by an eclectic series of interesting components. There will be a large array of special events and festivities and during four days visitors can walk around from place to place to meet painters, sculptors, graphic designers, ceramists, writers and musicians. Some 40 in all have registered. There will be workshops and, in the evening, concerts of classical and popular music, conferences, a filmed opera, and on the final evening a “soupe au pistou” will be served to visitors. The Biennale has been widely publicised beforehand and is expected to draw a large number of visitors.

Exhibition at “Au Point d’Art”, part 1

As a form of introduction to their work I have asked each participant (including myself of course) to briefly describe his or her vision of art by answering the following question:

What is the significance of art in general for you, and of yours in particular?

Laurent Félix-Faure

“I can’t remember the subject of the painting. All I know is that I stood before it in the museum of Grenoble and thunderstruck by its beauty I swore out loudly before realising the look of amazement of the bystanders around me. The impact of art on the brain is wondrous and scientifically proven and it can touch on something that is deeply personal and seemingly impossible to express otherwise. In my case unfortunately forcing me to uncontrollably swear! What it sometimes does however is to give me a sense of fullness I can’t find elsewhere. So, I tirelessly turn to art in the hope of recapturing that feeling all over again.

The art I make whether abstract or figurative does not seek depth. My head is full of scattered impressions of people and landscapes that require a bit of putting together and visualising, like images cast back by a mirror. What I like most about making art is the unexpected outcome, the surprise that comes when I look at a painting once it is finished. I have never once managed to make the one I wanted to make but I have sometimes been touched by what it has become. And, sometimes as well it tells me who I am. But as I am not a soul searcher, I will leave that last remark for what it is!”

Albert van Gulik (translated from Dutch)

“…. here we see the most important quality of the art of painting.

The marvellous and fascinating beauty of it all.

Which can be experienced outside the realm of language.

Paintings have accompanied mankind during almost his entire existence and because of this we still have a notion, for example, of how the mediaeval man experienced life.

Painting is for me about the bigger things such as the sentiment of being alive.

In my view the human soul should be reflected on canvas.

Preferably paintings should be pictorial essays.

My personal goal is to provide reflections concerning the, in my view, biggest shortcoming of human nature: its inclination towards polarization.

In practice it means that my paintings very frequently concern themselves with sentiments such as love and fusion with our partners and the world.

For if love and fusion are the most inevitable necessities for the preservation of the species, how then can we do otherwise when we concern ourselves with our spiritual wellbeing and happiness in our dealings with each other and the world?”

Anna Puig Rosado

“My connection to art essentially comes from my meetings with artists. During my childhood I looked at the world through my humourist and watercolourist father’s drawings and paintings as well as through the eyes of his band of artist friends from all over the world. I used to accompany my parents to exhibitions and have a happy time full of joy with the children of the other artists. Later my travels and photography took over. Creative photography has sent me back to childhood memories and it has established links with painters, photographers and other artists who inspire me by what they create and because they open up their world to me.”

Anke de Vries

“The first part of the question is difficult to answer. It is as if you were asking me why I am happy when the sun is shining. There are all kinds of answers but none of them really fully express my thoughts and especially my feelings. When I was still a little girl, I must have been five years old, I once asked my mother “Mummy, why are we alive?” My mother who was a very religious person hesitated a bit and finished by saying that we were alive to serve others. I don’t know whether the answer was very convincing, but I do believe that my question has remained unanswered and that art for me is perhaps one way of finding out what makes life worth living. Whatever the reason, I keep on looking at art, talking and thinking about it and making it as though it will reveal a secret. As for my choice, it came naturally and here again it might very well go back to my childhood when I used to spend hours fitting a cardboard doll with cut-out paper dresses. In a way they were my first collages. When I was a teenager, I would have liked to have attended art school, which is an indication of the path I wanted to follow. Later I wrote books for children and young adults but the need to create with my hands remained. What drives me most when I make a collage is a quest for beauty, and in my case, this can only be achieved through order and harmony by putting all kinds of bits and pieces together until they form a whole that gives me aesthetic satisfaction. Perhaps not the answer to why I am alive but at least it is a good way of enjoying life!”

Exhibition at “Au Point d’Art”, Part 2

They say that “A picture is worth a thousand words”, so rather than writing about them, here follows a small selection of images of the works by the artists from other countries that have been added as a complement to the main exhibition by the 4 Blog artists.