Dominique Barreau
Oleron Islande, France
Website
www.dominiquebarreau.com
Social Media
Instagram
How would you describe your work?
Right now, my work centers on my immediate surroundings and the theme of youth. Within this latter theme, I draw inspiration from my children and their loved ones, depicting scenes from real life or my own imagination. I focus on portraying the attitudes and “dress codes” of today’s generation, where the personal meets the universal.
What inspires you?
My inspiration may be sociological, reflecting the spirit of the times, but it may also simply stem from a desire to explore certain colors or a particular technique; in that case, the subject serves as a pretext for the act of painting. The spark can also come from a scene in a movie, a certain light, or the works of other artists.
Can you speak about your process?
My painting is primarily figurative; I paint with oil on canvas, based on photographs that I often take myself or find online, which I then transform and remove from their original context. Blurred or distorted portions with vibrant brushstrokes help convey the narrative a moment suspended in time. Through these scenes, the viewer can project their own interpretation.
How did you become interested in art?
As a child, I drew a lot; it was my language, my way of communicating, and I used it to recreate my own inner worlds. This sensitivity to art certainly comes from my mother, who herself loved to draw.
Do you have any favorite artists, movies, books, or quotes?
I’d cite, in no particular order: Francis Bacon, Rembrandt, Le Gréco, Gerhardt Richter, Adrian Ghenie, Peter Doigt when it comes to painting and in cinema I enjoy David Lynch, Jim Jarmush, Fellini, Antonini, Truffaut, Goddard, Melville, and Wajda. In the realm of literature, I often read Balzac, Flaubert, Faulkner, Dostoïevski, Tchékov, Modiano and T. C. Boyle.
