La Belle Epoque

Most of my paintings are figurative, sometimes symbolic. This one is an exception : it’s abstract, even if some figurative elements appears on it. I named it « La Belle Epoque » because it make me think (I don’t now really why) about the art of this era. « La Belle Epoque » is the term used to describe a period that started in Europe – mostly in France-  at the end of the 19th century after the economic crisis and finished when the First World War broke out in 1914. This period is said to be characterized by social, economic, scientific and political progress. It is usually described no without nostalgia as a « Golden Age », as years when optimism ruled.

My first encounter with Poland

Let’s inaugurate the first (of many more to come) article comenting pictures I took while travelling on this small blue planet. Our first destination is Poland during the 2014’s summer. My sweet old camera that travelled with me in Latin America was broken, so I bought a new one. I didn’t have much money, so I bought the cheapest one I’ve found. By chance, this new one has an option the last one didn’t have : we can select a particular color while shooting. This very simple option brought my picture to another level and gave more spaces for my creativity. Poland was the first place where I used this colours option.

The colourful building picture was taken while we made a stop with the bus during our very long trip from Switzerland to Poland (my legs and my back could could testify). This is a typical Soviet-influenced tower we can see in most European countries that have been invaded or at least influenced by the former USSR. This one caught my attention because of its colours that made its gray monotony a bit less sad. Plus that was a good excuse to test my new camera colours option.

Most of those pictures have been taken in the capital, Warsaw. When I was there, that was very special days for Polish people : that was the 70th birthday of the insurerrection against the nazis occupiers that caused the death of several hundreds of thousands of Polish people killed by the Germans. While I was walking in the streets of Warsaw, an alarm rang. People suddenly stopped moving and speaking for some minutes. That was a very moving moment dedicated to the fallen rebels. The red candles we see on the pictures had been lit as a tribute for the victims of those dramatic events.

The picture with the boat and the one with the spiral staircase have been taken in Frombork, the city where Copernicus has been buried.

VoodooKing

As an anthropologist, I’m fascinated by syncretism. This term is used to describe the combining religious beliefs. In Mexico, ancient Aztec traditions are mixed with Christian one. Based on a Christian Festival (All Saints’ Day), the Day of the Dead (el Día de Muertos) also includes pre-colombian believes - the omnipresence of the skulls during the feast is maybe the most obvious evidence. Voodoo is another exemple of syncretism. This Haitian religion that originally comes from the kingdom of Dahomey (Benin), added some christian beliefs in its structure. This painting represent a fictive voodoo god. I added on it a third level of syncretism that is pure fiction : the Inca cross (aka Chacana). This is a symbol of the wealth created by the meetings and mixing of many cultures.

To learn more about voodoo, two indispensable books : the novel «  La Piste des Sortilèges » by the Haitian writer Gary Victor and « Le Vaudou » by the Swiss anthropologist Alfred Métraux.

An Ode to Stephen King

This painting has been inspired by famous Stephen King’s novels called The Dark Tower. During 8 books, the American writer tells the story of Roland Deschain and his quest toward the Dark Tower which is said to be the center of the world. Reaching this tower would  enable Roland to save his decaying world torn up by wars and destruction. Behind the narrative weave apparent simplicity, King created a very particular and complex book where western, horror, science fiction and dark fantasy coexist in surprising harmony. A universe where Middle Ages, Cowboys and futuristic technologies live together. For years, those books has been a part of my life, as I  was waiting impatiently for the next volume to be published. Like no other writer, King has the capacity to make me travel in a fictionnel world. When I read his books, the world outside disapear for a few hours.

The character on the painting is the Crimson King, Roland’s nemesis. He represents the ultimate evil, the one that wants to destroy and conquer this world. He appears in many Stephen King’s book, with different names. I represented him faceless with light blue clothes to create a constrast with the warm colors behind him. On the background, we hardly see the Dark Tower, which represent hope for Roland, guarded by the Crimson King. The red field where the tower stands is made of poppies. The orange sky give us the feeling of a burning summer day. 

NatureIzWatchinYo

At first, when we look at this painting, we see eyes. Many eyes. Blue eyes. It seems like they’re looking at you. On the left, a tree branch does its best to appear on the painting. On the top, green patches could be the leaves of the tree, hanging in a blue sky. Like for most of my paintings, the meaning (when there is one), came after I finished it. I called it NatureIzWatchinYo. The idea is simple : the nature is watching you with its eyes. By « you » I mean « us », the human being. This may sound naive, but once you see the nature as a living creature (it’s a metaphor of course), you can’t prevent from respecting it. It’s like her eyes are observing what you do to her (him ? it ?). Sometimes aproving with shiny smily eyes. Sometimes disaproving with frowning angry eyes. In many animist cultures among the world, the nature is seen as a living creature, as a god sometimes.

Blu

This painting has been inspired by a picture my Italian friend Maria Paola published on facebook a few years ago. On this intriguing picture, she appeared with blue, golden and pink makeup on her face and blue hair. The harmony of the colours was perfect. So I decided to create a painting inspired by this picture. Maria Paola is a stage actress in Firenze (Italy).

Grand Canyon

On the first painting, two human figures are standing in front of what could be the Grand Canyon in th USA. We don’t know much about them. Are they tourists? Are they men or women? Are they grown-up, teenagers or kids? We just don’t know. All we know is that they stand in front of a beautiful landscape made of flashy colours in a fauvism-expressionism style. On an very orange soil (sand ? rock ?) a bush and a lonely tree. Dark mountains seem menacing. The red sun in a yellow sky with pink-purple clouds is burning, giving the impression of strong heat. The cold blue colour of the two human figures clothes is the only thing on the painting that give us some freshness. On the second painting, the impression of heat isn’t so strong. It seems like the cold desert night is coming. The sky is darker, more purple. The river that violently separate the painting in two play the same role as the blue t-shirts on the first painting. Those two paintings have no special meanings. It’s more about feeling and immersion : the impression we have when we are in a very arid place. When we balance between the beauty of the place and this burning heat that manipulates our five senses.

Nomad Soul - Huanchaco

Like most of my drawings and paintings, this one is about travels. About limitless horizons. The pictures I added acryllic paint lines on, is a picture I took when I was in Huanchaco, a small town close to Trujillo (Peru). In the background, we can see dusk falling on the Pacific Ocean. In the foreground, two boats are standing on the sand. They highlight a third one in the Ocean. Those boats, called « caballitos de totora » ( = little totora horses), were already used by Chimu and Moche cultures centuries ago to fish. The lines I painted on this pictures represent the omnipresence of colours in Latin America countries.

When I showed this painting to Fabienne, a friend of mine who is an anthropologist, she very spontanenously wrote those few beautiful lines : « Voyages, lignes et cassures de vie, carrefours et incompréhension. » (Travels, lines and breaks of life, crossroads and misunderstanding). She’s the author of a book based on a study about Swiss Alps moutain hut’s evolution : « Les cabanes de montagnes ».

Pachamama

In South American pre-Colombian cultures – Incas amongst many others – Pachamama (« mother earth » or « world mother ») was one of the major divinity. She was the goddess of animals, plants and minerals. The goddess of fertility. Nowadays, Pachamma is still very important in the Andes. People in Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador and northern Argentina continue to worship her, making to her offerings of tobacco, food or coca leaves. Sometimes, they also spill of the floor „chicha“, an alcohol made of corn very popular in countries like Peru. Pachamama gives birth to the corn. To spill corn alcohol « on her » is like giving her back a part of what we took her : corn. The corncobs that appears on both of my paintings represent Pachamama. This is a colorful ode to Mother Earth. A call to respect her. Even if some ignorant powerful politicians say global warming isn't caused by human being. 

Volcanic Darkness

This one is certainly one of my most refined painting : a few orange lines represent a sunset that evokes the color of the lava that don't appears on two black volcanoes under those strange skies. The background is pure white. Nothing more. That's a very special painting for me because I normally use to paint/draw (too?) many details in my works. I love the idea of "less is more" like the legendary music producer Rick Rubin does in his music. He's the one who helped a decaying Johnny Cash to come back on the scene, producing for him songs like "Hurt" which are based on this "less is more" philosophy. He's also the one who greatly contributed to make Kanye West's "Yezzus" a masterpiece. Intersting detail : in this album he's described as the "reducer". Maybe one day I'll apply this to my art as I'm trying to do it in my everyday life.

But let's get back to this painting's main topic : volcanoes. I feel like I'm repeating myself in the last articles, but this is one of my other childhood passion that still fascinate me as an adult. Their beauty and their strength captivate me at the highest point. I've had the chance to see some volcanoes in my life. Some sleeping like "el Pico de Orizaba" in Mexico, other just smoking like Vulcano, but also some erupting like Stromboli and Etna in Italy. To see lava beeing rejected by a volcano in the warm Sicilian night is something you can't ever forget. To hear this strong and dull sound the volcano is making - like a giant groaning - is something you'll always remember till your last breath. Volcanoes are huge creatures that command respect. That you don't want to make angry. It's very easy to imagine volcanoes are/were venerated in many cultures like gods. They make people around them humble and strong. Like the one living on Stromboli Island.

Quetzalcoatl – The feathered serpent

Quetzalcoatl was one of the main gods in Aztecs mythology. His cult probably comes from Tehotihuacan where we still can see nowadays the huge temples of the moon and the sun. Certainly one of the most oustanding place I’ve been to. That was like realising a childhood dream : since I was a kid I was fascinated by Aztecs culture.

Quetzalcoatl also played a tragic role for the Aztecs when they believed the Spanish « conquistador » Cortés was in reality this god back among men. Some specialists say it’s just a myth created by the Spaniards. I personally like to think it was true history.

In my eyes, Quetzalcoatl represents Latin America, Mexico and the passion I have for this piece of the world and its cultures. More than anything, it’s a symbol for me, present in many of my paintings.

Ticino – A trip to the Italian part of Switzerland

A few years ago, answering my inner nomad’s call, I left my hometown for a 3-days trip to Ticino. For us Swiss people, this Italian-speaking region is kind of « exotic », in its positive meaning. It’s like travelling in your own country, but also at the same time travelling to another country. The language spoken there is one of the reason, the palm-trees near the lake and the italian-influenced architecture are other one. During my (very) short trip, I visited Bellinzona and its three wonderful castles surrounded by mountains wich belong to the UNESCO world cultural heritage. The second place I visited was Lugano and its small streets reminding us of Italy. I walked along the water and then went on the top of San Salvatore Mount, enjoying the breathtaking scenery on lakes, mountains and forests. As usual, I took quite a lot of pictures. Back  home, I modified some of them with a basic computer programme. Some look psychedelic, other have strong contrast between flashy blue, lemon yellow and the grey-white-black austerity of old stones. Then I printed those pictures, cut them and created new one using pieces of different pictures. On one of them, I also added acrylic paint to decorate it.

Path to the lake

Horizonte Spirituale

Courbes Aériennes

Sogni

Château Azur

Sogni Luminoso

The art as a bridge builder : from Switzerland to Brazil.

The story of those four paintings is a bit special. At first, there was a great picture made by my dear Brazilian friend Patricia who is a very gifted photographer (check her artist website to be absolutly convinced : http://patijeronimo.wixsite.com/patriciajeronimo). This picture of a friend of her inspired me as soon as I saw it. Four paintings were born after a very creative process. The first one remind us of Venice carnival masks. This one has been part of the first exhibition I participated in (Delémont - Switzerland). A copy I sold to a friend is now exposed in his flat in Luxembourg. The second one is a collage using pieces of the picture pasted on an acrylic painting. The third one represent a mask (a part of Patricia's picture) on a dune in the desert, below a pure blue sky. Finally, the fourth one is the product of a collaborative artistic process. At first I painted a face inspired by the picture Patricia took. Then I sent it to her who showed it to a friend who is a Brazilian poet. She got inspired by my painting and added on it a poem she wrote : « Being jealous, the sun painted the face bronze ». To be honest, I’m not totally satisfied by this painting, I’m thinking about doing a better one. But I love this concept of collaboration between artists coming from different countries and cultures. Between artists using different means of artistic communications : painting, poetry and photography. Art is global. Each art’s family is connected the one to the other. The American painter Edward Hopper has been deeply influenced by the cinema. Mafia movies has influenced thousands of rappers. Many movies are novel’s adaptation (one of the best being Kubrick’s Shining). So long and so forth. Art is also a bridge builder between different countries and cultures. To bridge the gap is one the most noble missions of art.

When Mexico meets Peru - Part II (collages + acrylic)

In the latest article, I explained why and how I created an artistic bridge between Peru and Mexico using collage. Here are two new collages about the same topic. The only difference : I painted on the collages to add more dynamism and colours on them. The moon-sun is a very famous Mexican symbol you can also see in most Latin America countries. Walking in the streets, it's not rare to see it painted on walls or printed on t-shirts. It represents duality : life-death. masculinity-feminity, night-day. good-bad,... Since my nearly initiatory journey to Mexico, this symbol appears very often in my paintings and drawings. It keeps fascinating me. The tree represents life, wisdom and nature. The building on the first one is the aztec temple I've seen in Palenque (Mexico). Visiting this place, I felt something very strong, nearly spiritual. The sky above it is in fact the Pacific Ocean I photographed in Trujillo (Peru). The mountain on this one, but also on the other picture are the one that surround Trujillo in a very arid landscape which was the homeland of Moche's Pre- Colombian culture.

When Mexico meets Peru (collages)

Mexico and Peru are countries that share many things in common. They are the cradle of great historic civilizations : Aztecs and Mayas in Mexico – Incas in Peru. Even if they have been dramatically eradicated by human ignorance, they are still very alive. Mexico and Peru are countries where the present and the past live together, simultaneously. Pre-colombian cultures, spanish colonial influences and modernity create a surprisingly coherent mosaic. It feels like the word « syncretism » have been invented for those countries. Pre-colombian religions have been integrated in catholic believes (or is it the opposite?). Everything is about mixing different cultures (american, european and sometimes african), different influences. It’s true for the religions, but also for the food, the painting, the music, the languages (spanish with many quecha words in the peruvian Andes), the people,… Using pictures I took in those two countries and making collages out of them, incorporating mexican aztec temples in peruvian landscapes, I tried to underline how similar (and also different) those nations are. That was also my way to give back what those countries and more than anything their people gave me. An ode to Mexico and Peru.

Literature & paintings (acrylic + collage + pencil)

Since I was a child, I’ve been a bookworm, a voracious reader, even before being able to read. Books have always had a very strong attractive force on me. I used and I still use to get lost in books, to travel while reading. My love for litterature can be seen in some of my paintings. The two paintings of the day are dedicated to Gabriel García Márquez, the great Colombian writer, one of the most famous representatives of the „magic realism“. He’s one of the many Latin-American authors (with Jorge Amado, Pablo Neruda, Isabelle Allende and Marío Vargas Llosa) who became part of my reading environment since my Spanish was good enough to understand his books correctly. For those paintings, I copied and printed pages of books by the Colombian writer and pasted them on acrylic paintings of mine. Enjoy !

Literature & paintings (acrylic + collage + pencil)

Since I was a child, I’ve been a bookworm, a voracious reader, even before being able to read. Books have always had a very strong attractive force on me. I used and I still use to get lost in books, to travel while reading. My love for litterature can be seen in some of my paintings. The two paintings of the day are dedicated to Gabriel García Márquez, the great Colombian writer, one of the most famous representatives of the „magic realism“. He’s one of the many Latin-American authors (with Jorge Amado, Pablo Neruda, Isabelle Allende and Marío Vargas Llosa) who became part of my reading environment since my Spanish was good enough to understand his books correctly. For those paintings, I copied and printed pages of books by the Colombian writer and pasted them on acrylic paintings of mine. Enjoy !

A Travel To Czech Republic (collage + pictures)

In 2014, I went to Czech Republic for the first time. I brought back a few pictures of street art I've found in Praha, walking around its streets for hours. Hunting street art during my travels around the world became a great passion for me those last years. It's pure popular art, but also real democratic art. Street artists don't need to be selected in museums or expensive art galleries, they just need to leave their artistic imprint on the walls, on the buildings, on billboards,... Street art is also democratic from the point of view of the public who admires (or hates with their guts) street art. No need to go to museums, to pay anything to see street art. It's a way to bring art back to the streets, in the city. To make it leave museums walls, to make art less elistic. That's art for the people. You, me, us, they,... And more than anything, it's contextual art : street art feeds on its environnement and plays with it (one of the picture below...I let you guess which one...is contextual art at its purest level).

Then, back home with so many pictures in my camera, I created a collage inspired by Praha. I used the same technic I used for Lisboa and Santiago de Chile : I worked with MS Paint (aka the most basic drawing programme ever). Enjoy!