Alexandre Geoffroy

Alexandre Geoffroy is a compulsive artist whose paintings emanate from his obsession. They have always fed off one another like a spiral, or should I say a vicious circle, for him and his loved ones, but a virtuous one, for his creations and art lovers. No wonder he tends to be an insomniac... and insatiable.

 "My taste for culture and arts was bestowed upon me my parents, for they were very passionate about both. Music in particular, for my father, but not exclusively. As innkeepers, they'd let me sit in on the late-night services during which they'd chat and debate with their clients. I'd hear about musicians, writers and painters I had never heard of. Then I'd spend hours in the library (Internet didn't exist back then) to learn more about what I'd heard the night before" ... By the age of 10, Alexandre Geoffroy was reading Bret Easton Ellis and Paolo Coelho, knew the lyrics of The Rolling Stones songs by heart ... and was able to recognize a painting by Nicolas de Staël. In fact, what led to Alexandre Geoffroy's passion for painting was his first artistic encounter, or "shock" with Pierre Soulage. "One of the Inn's returning customers would speak of a fabulous painter, known as “the master of black"…of darkness turning into brightness. The very next day, I went to the library to uncover what this artist was all about, and I kept on researching until the day I was finally able to see one of his artworks up close.  It was love at first sight, an enchantment; I was blown away by the power paintings have of evoking emotions.

What were his Christmas and birthday gifts ? Exhibition catalogs and books on art. Could another returning customer also be a painter ? Indeed, and with whom Alexandre Geoffroy took his first drawing and painting lessons... Nudes, portraits, watercolors, charcoals… Alexandre practiced, reproducing what he saw or had seen. However, he was never satisfied with his creations, giving way to frustration (or rage) from not finding "his" artistic identity... Despite his parents' encouragement at the time, he decided to put all his drawing tools away…but the seed had been "sown". With the passing of his teenage years, hotel management studies, and a wedding, he went on to open his first restaurant with his wife, at the age of 24. The restaurant led to a frenetic pace and a load of responsibilities which in turn caused sleepless nights. It was during those nights that Alexandre started painting again; a way of occupying those long nights, but also a way of releasing tension. He rediscovered the pleasure of painting, along with enough personal satisfaction regarding the outcome that he decided to exhibit and sell the artworks in his restaurant. "Painting still wasn't an end in itself, it served the purpose of relieving my stress. Sure, I was happy that my paintings were selling, and were therefore pleasing, however, I still wasn't satisfied, for I still had the impression of reproducing what others were already doing; I hadn't found MY kind of painting".

Later on, when he changed his career path and left the restaurant business, Alexandre Geoffroy also became a father .... "Painting has always depended on my lifestyle ...now, I didn't have any free time or energy left; the routine of commuting, work and sleep, plus being a dad, I set painting aside again. Then, I was sleeping well !"

Until one day, he ordered posters of Space Invader's work from the MIMA Museum to decorate his home. When he received, unwrapped and contemplated the posters, an idea sparked in his head which awoke a certain desire... An idea he couldn't shake off, keeping him up at night (again). Weeks went by before he bought canvases, brushes and paint...He then set to work with the intention he had in mind, an obsession. "From the first brushstrokes, the first square centimeters, I knew this was IT. And I couldn't stop until the painting was completed, and I could take a step back and look at it. I had found MY painting."

And so, his first creations came to be, HIS first artwork, HIS signature: a meticulous juxtaposition of small squares, all rigorously of the same size, made with oil paints that he sculpted (not painted), laid upon the background of a canvas he had previously coated using the same color, but of a different hue. This creates a play of colors, nuances, color gradations and reflections, accentuated as much by the uniform "background" as by the light and shadow created by the chiseled matter. His works vary depending on the light shone on them, and the angle from which you look at them, with an effect similar to kinetic art. It's quite impressive ! "I always told myself that if I started painting again, I'd have to find something new, something I could call my own." Which is what Alexandre did. And of course, his very first work was monochrome and black (remember, he is fascinated with Pierre Soulage), but not geometric, because his intention was to create a work that resembled skin, leather, the epidermis as it would be seen with a microscope.  Since then, he has never ceased to explore the endless possibilities or to improve his technique... "... I've opened a Pandora's box. The possibilities are endless, and they will keep me busy until the day I die.". Exploring his technique, eventually finding the right "tools" (rather than brushes) used to make the squares, and playing with the material for a more chiseled effect. "Now, I paint when I dance (he laughs). I create an artwork without hardly ever looking at it directly, and by swaying left to right, right to left... to better grasp the effects of the color hues and light reflections, and the scope of the matter I add to the canvas".

His exploration of color begins in monochrome, to play with hues, gradations and contrasts with the canvas' background color, whose hue he also varies. And lately, he has been exploring the combining of different colors, playing with the chiseled effect of his artworks.

He also explores geometry in his quest for perfection. "I have become totally obsessed with straight lines." See, I told you so !

"The longest part of my painting process is not the creation of the artwork in itself, but the mental preparation prior to making it. A desire, an idea will sprout, and will consume me for several days (and nights) in order to precisely define it, before I can actually begin creating it. All the more so since the technique I use leaves no room for mistakes; each element, each square must rest perfectly on top of the others, which creates that blistering effect. So, in addition to having clearly defined my intention, I also need to be in the right frame of mind, the right mindset in order to begin a painting. I succeed an artwork only if I'm utterly immersed in it and totally focused". And, just so you know, a 100x100 cm painting requires the sculpting of at least 10,000 perfect squares to be juxtaposed, and for the artist, of course, the need to finish it in virtually "one shot".

Each new artwork is therefore not only a risk (technically) but also a doubt (artisticly) that haunts the artist in terms of outcome, aesthetics and the relevance of his approach. Especially, since he can only truly appreciate an artwork's capacity to generate a visual "surprise" it renders, depending on the light and angle, once it's completed ! So, to put it shortly : Alexandre Geoffroy is continuously evolving, and will continue to surprise us. Technically of course, but also in terms of colors and geometry. Plus, one of his greatest desires is to go bigger, and it's seriously beginning to affect the quality and quantity of his sleep... because of the difficulty such a crossover represents...if you can recall, a 100 x 100 cm painting = 10,000 squares…all the while maintaining the same standards in terms of outcome, as to keep the magic rendered by the infinite visual variations each work of art offers.

"It's like a necessity today, at my coming of age. I've at long last found my means of expression, as I've always imagined it, yet without ever materializing it up until now.

But what kind of crazy person would spend hours applying tiny little squares of paint? Only he or she who has envisioned the end result a thousand times. The same person who will go down a path without trembling or getting discouraged, despite the thousand questions he or she may ask him or herself.

Obsessed by symmetry, depth and the thickness of matter, I frantically cover my canvases, wondering if I'm the only one who sees beauty in them - Deep and solid.

For me, this work is the ultimate introspection, and the ultimate satisfaction. “

With all this said, we are particularly pleased to be the first to exhibit and represent his artworks, but we know that we won't be alone very much longer ! An artist to watch closely and acquire. Especially since his artworks can work wonderfully as diptychs or triptychs, and while they are still affordable !