Near the teeming antiques-market at St. Ouen is the studio of the prolific and talented Olivier Masmonteil. As an artist who has toured the world repeatedly, this busy, multicultural corner of the city suits the him well.
Unpacking works from his recent Canadian show “Place,” Masmonteil treated us to a selection of his landscapes in a variety of sizes and materials.
Masmonteil’s work relies on the interaction between the viewer and the art – each individual reading into the painting their own memory and nostalgia for places known and loved.
He explained how wherever he shows, people find themselves recognizing landforms. Looking at one piece in depth he demonstrated how he borrows skies from one landscape, rocks from another, trees from yet another.
The results are landscapes that feel familiar to many, yet recognizable to none. As a true nature lover, and fisherman, the rural views of his natal country in the centre of France are always an important source of inspiration. Real or fictive, his landscapes work perfectly, and are hard to resist.
And tucked away we could see tantalizing glimpses of works to come but we promised not to talk about them… you’ll have to wait until October 13, 2012, when his next personal exhibition in Paris opens at Galerie Dukan Hourdekin.