Do your surroundings affect your work in any way or do you paint the same pictures regardless? 
Yes, my surroundings affect my work. Everything I feel will be unconsciously recycled in my work. Moreover I can't paint if I don't have a sense of well-being. 

Natural light or artificial light? Tell me about your studio
Natural light or artificial light makes no difference to me. 
Sometimes I even feel little light favours the contrasts in the painting process as well as my inclination to contemplation! It's joy to see light coming out from the painting itself. 
My studio is a messy place of twelve square meters. I do the heavy work in my garage which is also convenient to stock my stone production. My favourite studio is Mother Nature! 

What techniques do you use? 
I have been painting in pastel on paper for 25 years. Thin and transparent layers of powder at the beginning. Then, layers of raw pigments allowing the light to vibrate through. Later on, pastel pigments mixed with other media. 
I use graphite chalk for spontaneous sketches on-the-spot and Indian ink for drawings. 
In 1995 I inaugurated a new art technique : pastel drawings on stones. I call my works "PastelLithes" 

Do you think there is any aspect of artistic creation that is not well understood by the public? How would you explain such things? 
Contemporary art is not well understood by the public. In fact this is the normal reaction of most people at new artistic movements. Art history gives plenty of examples of misunderstood art which is applauded when recognized. 
Artistic expression is nowadays limitless. The artist is exploring most possibilities in our wide world in any ways and techniques, and this may be bewildering for the public.

Do you listen to music when you're working?
Yes, most of the time I listen to music when I work because music is like the wave which gives me the tempo. It happens my hand dances on the music rythm, sometimes my body too! I need listen to master music ! Obsessional music such as jazz by John Coltrane or ethnic music help me abandon control and travel deeper into the unconscious. 

Are there any texts that you tend to read over? Could you quote us a phrase?
Poetry again and again... 
Montaigne, Garcia Lorca, Cocteau... 
"We did not know it was impossible, so we did it" Cocteau. 

Could you give me the names of the three painters you consider the most important in the history of painting? 
I think art is not perfectible. Then I consider all painters to be valuable and bring a parcel of humanity. There is no real evolution in painting, there is no progress, unlike science, just contemporary styles and re-interpretations. 
The most important thing was the discovery of photography which liberated the artist from representation. Then the influence of Picasso who showed the way to freedom. 
In the anonymous cavern paintings everything is already written (sorry, painted!).

What do you think of Internet and the Arts? 
I believe that Internet is eventually going to revolutionize the way art is promoted and distributed, but this will take some time. 
There is a lot of interesting art production in the world and there is also an increasing number of people interested in art. Unfortunately, the access to contemporary art is monopolized by a small elite of well-connected galleries and art critics. Internet has the power to break this monopoly and enable artists to meet their public. 
However, the Internet medium is still in its infancy. The art offering on the web is so enormous and growing so fast that it has become impossible to reference it in a useful way. This means that art lovers have to dig through tons of art web pages in order to find what they are really fond of.

What is your opinion of Stylusart, the international arts magazine?
As an artist, I've been approached by several art-related websites and, as far as I remember, Stylusart is the only one that really inspired me confidence. Too many sites seem to have for only purpose making money out of artists. On the other hand, sites that are honestly interested in promoting art usually suffer from lack of professionalism. 
I like the "look and feel" of your website. Both content and presentation provide an impression of quality and professionalism. 

© stylusart 2003