Sandefjord canot de sauvetage à voile, 2022

Alain Abramatic  

This work pays homage to the Sandefjord, one of the last sailing lifeboats designed by naval architect Colin Archer at the beginning of the 20th century. More than just a sailboat, this type of vessel embodies robustness, commitment, and solidarity in the face of the elements. The composition isolates the boat in a deliberately minimalist, almost silent space. The sails, in warm and luminous tones, created by incorporating paper, reveal fine textures that suggest the suppleness of the fabric in a light breeze. The ochre masts provide vertical structure and introduce a visual stability that interacts with the white hull, highlighted in red and black. The use of sand imbues the material with a subtle granularity. It evokes the shoreline, the erosion caused by salt, and the memory of storms weathered. This mineral presence anchors the boat in a tangible reality, while allowing the space around it to breathe. Between the precision of the lines and the freedom of the gesture, the work does not seek a documentary representation; It conveys the quiet dignity of the ship and the tranquility of a moment of peaceful sailing. A painting with a gentle yet assertive presence, celebrating maritime tradition and the timeless elegance of large sailing lifeboats.