Anecdotes
Brief anecdotes at 17
First exhibition in the Luberon (France), memorable dialogue
An adult looks at my paintings and then comes to me:
“What do you paint?”
“I paint moods, sir.”
“A state of mind can be painted?” with a restrained smile.
"Yes sir, with colours and paintbrush movements" amazed at such a question.
“Ha !?!” and turns his back.
First visit to an art gallery
After tirelessly browsing Picasso's masterful exhibition at the Palais des Papes in Avignon, and galvanised by the fields of possibilities offered to the eye and the hand by Picasso's creations, I visited the most beautiful art galleries in the city.
I walked into one; Buffet, Braques, Ubac filled the space.
What a joy! Having satisfied my thirst, I went to the person who seemed to be in charge and engaged in conversation.
“… I too paint, but rather moods conjugating colours and paintbrush movements.”
Whilst speaking I stretched my three favourite paintings on his desk.
“Yes, interesting work. But you know to become a great artist you must endlessly renew your creation. It is in suffering that artists find inspiration.”
“Thank you, sir, for all you have told me.”
Stunned, dazed by the revelation of the seriousness of my situation to come, I returned home, silent and quiet. Once in my room, in an apparent calm, I assembled paintings, canvases, paintbrushes and neatly put them all away in boxes and hid them in the wardrobe behind my books.
15 years have gone by. My intimate relationship with 19th and 20th C painting lived through beautiful escapes into museums and galleries. Paris knows how to secretly nurture passions. Nevertheless, painting remained out of bounds.
