Paris Diary by Laure . com
Newsletter - 27/10/2020
Astrid de la Forest delivers beautiful figures at Documents 15
The whole of Paris was concentrating on Emmanuel Macron paying a tribute at la Sorbonne to Samuel Paty, the teacher murdered by a young Tchetchen, while at Galerie Documents 15, a small group of art lovers were concentrating on the new work by printer Astrid de La Forest. And what a delight it is to lose oneself in the new silhouettes in ink and drypoint done by the young Academician. She has switched from landscapes to portraits, inspired by a unique Egyptian woman, Nadia, who contains more lines and landscapes in her silhouette than any mountain. The show is sublime.
I was a little worried by the invitation with these new colored silhouettes, for I have admired Astrid’s engravings for a long time, but mostly for their black and white abstract views of mountains or sea shores in Ireland. To realize these portraits, the artist first paints the model live with ink on a large piece of China paper. Blue indigo, red vermilion are used. The brush runs quick and fluid on the paper, in a very soft gesture. An infinite delicacy comes out of these meetings between the two ladies, who know each other well. The portraits then get an additional printing process, black ink is added to the color and strong black strikes modify the body and the posture of Nadia, who is obviously very beautiful in real life.
Astrid de La Forest has worked as an artist since 1982 when she graduated from Ecole supérieure d’art graphique in Paris. She collaborated with Patrice Chéreau and Richard Peduzzi on decors at Nanterre Theatre des Amandiers, lived in Tangiers, was on artist’s residence in Tasmania, in Donegal and in Ballinskellings. She is preparing an exhibition for Galerie Regala in Arles in 2021 and one for Musée Jenisch in Vevey, Switzerland for 2022.
Her fellow academician Erik Desmazières was present during the hanging of the prints and was bemused by the introduction of color in the works. As writer Léonor de Récondo mentions in the very pretty catalog, “Landscape is not visible anymore, it is inside the body, it constitutes it”. The movement instilled in these ink paintings and printing is very exceptional. Do not miss the show which goes on until December 5, at Galerie Documents 15, 15 rue de l’Echaudé. Open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 1 pm to 7 pm and by appointment.
