Ivan Arlaud
Artwork’s Title: I’d Forget
Materials Used: Oil pastels, acrylic and graphite on cardboard
Studio Based: Lyon, France
Can you tell us about the process of making your work?
My process is a kind of a giant patchwork between scenes from my imagination and pictures from my daily life. Sometimes I just paint things that I’ve imagined or sometimes I paint passages from books that have inspired me. Every kind of content that echoes on me can be digested and used in my work
How would you define your work in a few words (ideally in 3 words)?
It’s a kaleidoscopic vision of my imagination, a nod to art history and objects of fantasy.
Would you use another three different words to describe the ‘I’d Forget’ painting?
Raw, colored, oneiric.
How did you come up with this painting idea? Is there any story behind this painting?
The idea for this painting comes from interpretations of Dante’s Divine Comedy. The scene takes place at the end of Purgatory in Earthly Paradise. Dante meets a woman named Matelda who will take him to two rivers, Lethe and Eunoe. Lethe makes you forget all sins and Eunoe gives the memory of good. These are two necessary steps for Dante to enter Paradise.
Is there any particular message that you wish your viewers can take from this painting?
I’m not used to orienting the viewer’s feelings, he’s free to interpret the painting as he wishes. If the viewer knows Dante’s Divine Comedy, then there is a second reading possible. The title ‘I’d forget’ puts the viewer on the track to one of the two rivers roles.
What colour is used the most in this painting?
I guess the blue and yellow are the main colours here. There is also white that contrasts the whole. But these two main colours compose and structure the painting space.
What would be the best way to exhibit your work?
I’m a little bit classy when I think to exhibit my work. In a concrete way, the ‘white cube’ has proven itself and I think it suits me well. In a virtual way (which is developing due to this unfortunate period…), I like classic and frontal displays but I also explore the use of my paintings as textures on generated objects.
Can you mention any artists you, lately or generally, take inspiration from?
There are many artists I would like to mention but I’ll force myself to name only 6 fabulous painters:
_ Matisse
_ William Blake
_ Paolo Ucello
_ James Owen (IG @jamesowens_)
_ Cristina Lama (IG @cristinalamaruiz)
_ Thom Trojanowski (IG @thomtrojanowski)
How do you know when this painting was finished?
It’s a pretty difficult question! If we put perfectionism aside, I think that artistic work is never achieved. You have to feel when additions aren’t good anymore. It’s just a matter of feelings.
What about the place where you work? What’s your studio space look like?
I work from home. I’m lucky to live in a house near the city with a room dedicated to my work. It’s not a large space, there must be 15 m2. I feel cramped there now, I plan to move to a new place as soon as possible.
What does your mum think about your art?
I don’t know if you can expect an objective look from a loving mother. But she loves and supports me in this adventure!
Which exhibition did you visit last?
I redid the permanent collection of the Georges Pompidou Center which is really good and complete.
Which are your plans for the near future?
The plans are to continue to deepen my technique and to keep producing. To participate to open calls, to do exhibitions and of course to continue enjoying it. In the near future, the next steps are to be part of a collective exhibition (September 2020, Grenoble) and of a duo show (November 2020, Grenoble) at Galerie Tracanelli.
* Ivan Arlaud lives and works in Lyon. ‘He thinks his painting like a mix between his imagination and contents from his daily life. He plays with narration and try to tell fantasy stories. His work want to show that everything can be used like a material for the creation’. The artist graduated from École Supérieure d’Art et Design Grenoble-Valence in 2017. In 2018, Arlaud also released his debut album ‘A Part Of Me’ by the German label Project Mooncircle.
Additional Paintings
© All images are courtesy of the artist