AUSTRALIA IN LA ROCHE POSAY ? - Part 2
At the Welcome conference, there was some talk of art in La Roche Posay. I had already looked at two art galleries from the outside. The third was on a second floor of a 13th century building. A poster on the window showed that it could be interesting. Like the first two it was closed when I went by on Tuesday. On Wednesday I came back early enough from my walk to discover what was going on.
In the first gallery, I would define the work as «nice». Water colours of the region and without any doubt there is a market for such art. It was not for me but I certainly did take my time as I like aquarelle .
After peering through the window of the second gallery, I skipped it.
Then I walked into the old town - all of three minutes from where the other two galleries were and went into what I found to be a very forbidding antique shop which seemed to be full of asiatic, buddha and exotic sculptures. The lighting was poor and the entrance somewhat daunting. A charming woman came to meet me. I opened my mouth and she replied in English. I was to learn that she was born in Germany had lived in the States and was now living in La Roche Posay. What brought her here? I don’t know.
We went up a tiny stone stair way to the second floor. The large painting at the top of the stairs she described as «graffiti art» - I would have just said contemporary abstract but it was something I admired at once. A French artist called Brusk. When I went onto Internet to discover who he is, he is described as a Graffiti artist and his work is amazing. Not what I saw in the gallery but real graffiti art on buildings, buses and so on. A discovery.
It couldn’t be true, I turned to the right and there I gaped at Australian aboriginal paintings. Here in La Roche Posay ? Did the woman see the look on my face? She remarked «They are Australian» It seemed unreal. Two of the artists I knew too as had seen their work when I was in the centre some years ago. Babatu from Western Australian. Around 50. I had seen a couple of her paintings in Perth. She’s very ceremonial in her approach to art, depicting journeys that women follow in different regions. They’d stop and dance at the different sacred spots along their way. This particular painting intrigued me: «Rêve de Femme» or «Dream of a Woman» it seemed like a Labyrinth with one main track crossing the painting to find the woman ? Black and white with what seemed to be tiny spots of red in the painting. Not easy to live with and yet not difficult to lose your way inside the painting.
The other paintings, which I respect are, as I said to the women, what have become «commercially in fashion». Meticulous tiny brush strokes but I like aboriginal paintings to breathe, for me and these don’t breathe and lack space. But that is very personal. Jeannie Pitjara-Petyarre is the artist. I had seen «her leaves» in Alice if I remember rightly. But different leaves...she’s a well known artist today.
As we turned to go down stairs I had not noticed that there were two more paintings by a Barny Ellaga. Very much a «dreamtime artist I would imagine. The two paintings are saturated in colour and would undoubtedly make the most beautiful rugs. One of the «rugs» would go extremely well with a small aboriginal painting I bought last year. The colours are the same and yet my painting is minimalist.
Indian, Japanese,...and finding this in La Roche Posay is a great turn up for the books. I will be going back.
In the first gallery, I would define the work as «nice». Water colours of the region and without any doubt there is a market for such art. It was not for me but I certainly did take my time as I like aquarelle .
After peering through the window of the second gallery, I skipped it.
Then I walked into the old town - all of three minutes from where the other two galleries were and went into what I found to be a very forbidding antique shop which seemed to be full of asiatic, buddha and exotic sculptures. The lighting was poor and the entrance somewhat daunting. A charming woman came to meet me. I opened my mouth and she replied in English. I was to learn that she was born in Germany had lived in the States and was now living in La Roche Posay. What brought her here? I don’t know.
We went up a tiny stone stair way to the second floor. The large painting at the top of the stairs she described as «graffiti art» - I would have just said contemporary abstract but it was something I admired at once. A French artist called Brusk. When I went onto Internet to discover who he is, he is described as a Graffiti artist and his work is amazing. Not what I saw in the gallery but real graffiti art on buildings, buses and so on. A discovery.
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| Brusk "Letters Crash" |
It couldn’t be true, I turned to the right and there I gaped at Australian aboriginal paintings. Here in La Roche Posay ? Did the woman see the look on my face? She remarked «They are Australian» It seemed unreal. Two of the artists I knew too as had seen their work when I was in the centre some years ago. Babatu from Western Australian. Around 50. I had seen a couple of her paintings in Perth. She’s very ceremonial in her approach to art, depicting journeys that women follow in different regions. They’d stop and dance at the different sacred spots along their way. This particular painting intrigued me: «Rêve de Femme» or «Dream of a Woman» it seemed like a Labyrinth with one main track crossing the painting to find the woman ? Black and white with what seemed to be tiny spots of red in the painting. Not easy to live with and yet not difficult to lose your way inside the painting.
 |
| Babatu - Reve d'une femme |
The other paintings, which I respect are, as I said to the women, what have become «commercially in fashion». Meticulous tiny brush strokes but I like aboriginal paintings to breathe, for me and these don’t breathe and lack space. But that is very personal. Jeannie Pitjara-Petyarre is the artist. I had seen «her leaves» in Alice if I remember rightly. But different leaves...she’s a well known artist today.
 |
| Jeannie Pitjara-Petyarre |
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| Jeannie Pitjara-Petyarre - The dream of the savage Yam |
As we turned to go down stairs I had not noticed that there were two more paintings by a Barny Ellaga. Very much a «dreamtime artist I would imagine. The two paintings are saturated in colour and would undoubtedly make the most beautiful rugs. One of the «rugs» would go extremely well with a small aboriginal painting I bought last year. The colours are the same and yet my painting is minimalist.
 |
| Barny Allaga |
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| Barny Allaga for my rug ! |
Indian, Japanese,...and finding this in La Roche Posay is a great turn up for the books. I will be going back.
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