From Impressionism to Contemporary Art

4 concrete slabs: 2ft.*2ft.*0.6in. (ea.) with Colored Engraving on concrete with mirrors on the back

From Monet

Claude Monet paints the harbour of Le Havre in Impression Soleil Levant, this painting gave its name to Impressionism.

With Impression Soleil Touchant, I take an opposite course and offer a new look on this historical work.

While the impressionist composes a landscape by stacking monochromatic dots to create volume, the Colored Engraving, which I have developed, allows me to break down Monet's painting into 4 monochromatic layers.

Each layer is engraved independently on 4 slabs of concrete,

to create 4 new landscapes in volume.

While the impressionist adds layers of painting on the canvas,                       I choose to withdraw layers of the skin of concrete slabs.

While the impressionist asks one to move away in order to understand the depth of a painting, I invite one to move closer, almost to touch, in order to appreciate colors printed in relief.

While the impressionist translates insubstantial light into pictorial material, I transform a raw material into sensory pictures.

A concrete link is so made between the Monet’s inspiration (the harbor of Le Havre) and the existing architecture of Le Havre which has received the Unesco label.

Contrasts

Offering a new look on a historical work by featuring on contrasts:
- addition of coats on the cloth / delete of concrete from the slab,
- oil painting / new patented process,
- to move away from work / to get closer to it,
- to transform an insubstantial light into pictorial material / to transform a raw material into sensory pictures,
takes its entire sense in my artistic process which invites the visitor to undertake his own emotional trip with the means of escape which I give him.