César Bardoux
Artwork’s Title: Memory Card
Materials Used: Oil painting on linen canvas
Year: 2019
Studio Based: Aubervillier (Paris), France
Art Verge
Can you tell us about the process of making your work?
César Bardoux
The painting part is the last phase of the process. Before that I work on a computer, I use couple of 3D programs to create my subjects: forms, compositions, lights.. There is a shaping/modeling part, kind of a sculptural approach and a rendering one. During these steps I try to create images that could respond to a painting interpretation, in this way the painting part is essential to reveal the potential of the numerical images. Once the digital composition seems right, I reinterpret it with oil painting, ink or graphite sometimes, depends on the project. I try to keep close to the image I made but I also allow my self to get distance from it, to redraw some areas or change the tones and colors.
How would you define your work in a few words (ideally in 3 words)?
Mechanic, metamorphic and illusory.
Would you use another three different words to describe the ‘Memory Card’ painting?
Liquid/Solid frequencies.
How did you come up with this painting idea? Is there any story behind this painting?
I sometimes use open sourced topographic 3D maps as subjects, I reshape them to create something different and paint them as they were sculptures. I always loved mineralogy, petrography, geology, even tho I’ve never studied about these sciences..natural phenomena, stones and minerals are one of my biggest source of inspiration. My brother and I had this transparent bluish Memory card for our playstation to save our gaming data. I use to love that item, it was revolutionary at the time..
What colour is used the most in this painting?
An old holland blue-grey cut with a bit of scheveningen deep blue and peach black but the main one is a titanium white.
What would be the best way to exhibit your work?
I don’t have anything against this white cube period we are in, specially because I try to have a scientific/clinical approach in my painting, so it fits to these sanitized sci-fi white cubes environments. It’s hard to think about that too, exhibiting is a completely different job. I don’t think to much about it to be honest..
If I had to pick several random spaces to create an exhibition I would go for: empty aquariums, abandoned swimming pool, stone career, NASA spacecrafts, smoking room, maybe elevators.
Can you mention any artists you, lately or generally, take inspiration from?
Hans Holbein, Clifford Still, Uwe Schmidt, Jean Fouquet, Tomoko Sauvage, De Heem, Albreich Durer, Ernst Haeckel, Miro, Miquel Barcelo, Nick Cave..
How do you know when this painting was finished?
That’s the bright side of working from images; it’s done when it looks close enough from the image I made and when my eyes gets dizzy of seeing it. Before the painting phase during the 3D manipulations, it is hard for me to decide when it’s finished and interesting enough to be painted. I’d say gut feeling.
What about the place where you work? What’s your studio space look like?
I used to both live and work in a studio, but I had to move and find a new place recently, so I’m sharing one with other artists at the moment, nice but nothing special about it.
Is there any particular message that you wish your viewers can take from this painting?
My fascination of fluidity and transparency, all the connections that humans have with water and also the irony of looking at a fake plastified water surface made by a computer.
What does your mum think about your art?
She understands it and even likes it I believe. I think Serge Gainsbourg said something like :”if your parents like your painting it’s probably shit”. I guess he meant that there is a gap between generations and old/new ideas. But I guess times have changed and painting don’t evolve as radically as it once did, from Classic period to Modern. In this sense people are now more aware and open minded thanks to the influence of the media.
Which exhibition did you visit last?
An exhibition about prehistory (Beaubourg museum Paris), seen by several artists of different times.
Which are your plans for the near future?
Keep painting, experimenting and evolving. I also hope to escape the city the more often I can. I don’t really plan much in general. I had lot of exhibitions running lately so for now I want to be back at the studio.
Additional Works:
© All images are courtesy of the artist