VIRTUAL EXHIBITION
GRATALOUP
SKY AND EARTH
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Exhibition Film
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This first exhibition, which inaugurated the GRATALOUP Museum, began two months after the painter's passing on January 16, 2022. It highlights the artist’s last paintings, particularly the highly symbolic "As Above, So Below," the final painting created by GRATALOUP.
The exhibition’s scenography was designed by Milena as a tribute to her husband. One cannot help but be moved by her words and the deep emotion they convey, filled with the profound presence of GRATALOUP.
I have long gazed at my paintings
Now they gaze back at me.
Grataloup
2021 - AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
Last painting by GRATALOUP
For this first opening exhibition of the GRATALOUP Museum and through the theme of Sky and Earth, the artist offers us his own reading of the world and nature, made of matter, sand and metals, but also his approach to the universe, where Sky and Earth often merge.
For the painter, nature dominates human beings. Despite his efforts to become its master, all that remains is this small silhouette, covered with gold leaf, an expression of his own essence, which seeks a path in the midst of a nature that surpasses it or protects it, when it sometimes manages to tame it.
This nature, the artist enjoys looking at it at and reinventing it on his paintings.
The “Plants garden”, in its chromatic reality, takes the viewer into the mysteries of its night sky.
The little "Small air elemental ” flies towards unknown lands, made of sky or earth, drowned in the blue of the space that unites them.
Lost between Sky and Earth, the “Blue and gold dragon trees” erect their chalice of leaves towards the celestial vault.
Stardust in the universe, the “Nebulae” take us into an infinity where the golden tree placed in the middle of them, reminds us of the existence of a planet here below called Earth.
When Sky and Earth merge under the silver sun, it is indeed “Above and below” that the understanding of the world is read.
Below "Eve", the "Angel's wings" spread their protective wings.
In the center of the chapel, only hints of color on the picture rails, the “Flowers of Eden” display their delicate petals around the golden couple, symbol of Universal Love.
On the vault of the priory, at the intersection of the ribs, other works from these series of canvases project their reflection, thus offering visitors a spectacle between Sky and Earth, on a violin concerto by Philip Glass.
Watch the sound & light (9min)
Click on the canvas that interests you to listen to the associated podcast
2021 - EN HAUT COMME EN BAS
Technique mixte sur toile
100 cm x 100 cm
Click on the photo to enlarge it
Dans la lignée de sa précédente série, créée en 2020 sur le thème des « Nimbes et Nébuleuses », désormais libéré de sa technique habituelle des –matrices et frottages-, caractéristique incontournable de sa recherche picturale, c’est une création libre et sans limite que GRATALOUP va exprimer sur les toiles de cette série intitulée, « En haut comme en bas ».
Toutes les toiles, créées à partir de l’été 2021 jusqu’à janvier 2022, font partie des dernières créations du peintre. Les planètes, présentes sur les toiles de la série, sont représentées sous forme de soleils noirs, or ou argent.
L’œuvre « En haut comme en bas », présentée dans cette exposition, est une œuvre majeure de cette série. En haut comme en bas, le dessin, tracé à la mine de plomb directement sur la toile, est retravaillé à l’encre de chine pour donner de l’épaisseur, de la matière. On retrouve ici l’ensemble de technique mixte, propre au travail de GRATALOUP : l’utilisation de la feuille d’argent, formant l’élément central du motif, l’acrylique, projeté au pistolet autour du dessin, donnant ainsi la profondeur chromatique
Au-delà de la figuration poétique de cette série, c’est bien du rapport de l’homme à l’univers dont il est ici question et plus particulièrement de cette planète sur laquelle nous vivons, qui nous relie au ciel dans les profondeurs du grand mystère.
Peu avant son départ de notre terre, lors GRATALOUP dira :
« J’ai longtemps regardé mes toiles ; maintenant ce sont-elles qui me regardent … ».