Lemmy Gonthier

The man Lemmy Gonthier was born in Valais in 1957. Images, curves and colors have always occupied a privileged place in his existence. Self-taught artist, he perfects his line by feeding his imagination through many sources. His visual appetite leads him to delve into the great masters of the Renaissance as well as current artists. The quest Passionate worker, he follows his instincts and lets the intention speak when he paints. Over the years, he has developed a style of his own. Daring, he does not hesitate to vary the supports and formats, pushing his technique even further. Eager to go beyond his limits, he likes very large formats, on canvas or even on private walls. Style The human body is at the center of Lemmy's work. His taste for large formats requires striking anatomical precision. The movement that is suggested in each of his paintings tends the muscles of his subjects, transmitting a wild energy which is at the heart of the impulse that drives him to paint. Fascinated by Francis Bacon and his upset portraits, Lemmy "shoots" the accuracy of his line to add a bestial ardor, carrying unleashed emotions, disorderly movements. Through these bursts of intensity, he restores devastated bodies whose plastic perfection is only suggested. His portraits, always asymmetrical, question the eye of the beholder, inviting him to fill in the torn features that the artist has posed. Ravaged faces, torn faces and tortured bodies reflect his tormented interiority. Refraining from censorship, he uncompromisingly exposes the demons who torment him, exposing them and raising their strange and sublime beauty. By the power of his stroke, he confronts us with an intensity that stirs our guts and questions us about our imperfection and our unfinished part. The sensuality and strength that emerge from his paintings collide with the violence of his representations, leaving the observer floored or transcended, but never indifferent. The performance Always in search of danger, Lemmy watches for the unexpected by painting live. In broad daylight or in more confidential contexts, he engages his talent on the line and reveals his work without preparation, listening to his feelings of the moment. His letting go during the performances testifies to his desire to meet people. Letting go of his brush, he creates in the moment, guided by the gaze of his audience; sometimes accompanied by musician friends, he brings out his raw emotions, lets his colors pierce these shapes which confess the astonished, curious and deep gaze he has on the world.