An Offering of Light
After having explored the cosmic dimension of movement evolving in the celestial darkness, my artistic path has brought me to once again question the role of light as a backdrop for my present work.
Almost non-existent during my “Circonvolutions Dansantes” period, where the black background gave depth to the characters, as in a shadow box, the use of bright colours now works as an energy catalyst. The characters are now not only suspended in the air but must interact with the power of the surrounding elements.
The use of a sun yellow, for example, confers genuine strength to the silhouettes of the figures in motion. These silhouettes, dependant upon the whims of natural forces, are now in a direct relation with their setting. The solemn communion between human beings and the cosmos engenders a symbiotic evolution. And it is precisely upon this symbiosis that the milestone of my artistic process lies.
Capturing Light to Better Project It
As with the characters from “Circonvolutions”, those that I have depicted in this new series have retained their minimalist nature. This dimension underlines the power of the luminous immensity which envelops them and highlights the playful aspect of the airy dance, in the same way that the background of the canvas acts as a means of projecting the movement, as opposed to the “Circonvolutions” backgrounds which captured it.
This luminescent liberation of the backgrounds underlines the energy of these movements and engenders a new spatial symmetry which manifests itself mainly through the appearance of right angles which help give a theatrical atmosphere to the subjects and the forms which surround them.
Thus, certain characters seem to float in space while others continue on their journey, sheltered by a massive structure. This dichotomy between celestial weightlessness and the weight of terrestrial magnetism expresses the duality of humanity and the difficulty they have in finding an equilibrium between reality and fantasy.
Dance, Life’s Continuum
Dance, a tool to express all aspects of human sentiment, has proven to be the ideal medium to extract the essence of pure emotion and to project it into the souls of the observers.
The structure of my works remains resolutely classical. However, I enjoy adding surrealistic touches which transport people into dimensions where each can find his own personal equilibrium. And, in my opinion, only the body movements can truly convey these emotions.
The use of luminous backgrounds also enables an evolution of the figures in a multitude of environments, something that the black backgrounds did not. As such, the subjects on the canvas can pirouette in the air, float through an aquatic space or simply travel across another dimension.
This aspect is very interesting as it gives me the chance to explore different universes. Green and turquoise backgrounds, for example, can evoke marine life. As for the figures I conjure up, I have chosen to depict bodies of a spindly nature so as to emphasize the importance of the movements they perform. Thus, the arms and legs of the figures seem to be stretched out to infinity, giving the observer the impression that they embrace the universe in all its entirety.
Heaven and Earth as Tools of Theatricality
These figures also evoke the spatial choreography of the power of the circus as much as cosmic sources, the energy necessary to rise up onto the bar of a trapeze and to unfurl celestial arabesques. Yet, all these figures are part of a theatrical setting where the acrobats are contemplated from below by other subjects anchored firmly to Mother Earth. As with old engravings, the terrestrial figures evoke both the trials of life and the aspirations toward a better existence. Eyes are looking upwards, searching the heavens for the answers to the painful questions of the infinite.
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