The Diffusion of Visual Art in Provence

As you would imagine, even if we were on holiday in this marvellous Provence in France, we took the time to look at with the local art and we visited artists’ studios and art galleries. 

The approach is different. There is a network of municipal galleries available to artists. Every second week, the artist and obviously the style change. During our stay in Ansouis, the two artists we met in the old presbytery were of two completely different styles. One very abstract, the other very traditional. 

This system in areas very popular with tourists allows the artists to self-promote their art. Not like in Québec with the art symposiums and other gathering of artists, they work by themselves.

In large cities like Arles or Aix-en-Provence, many galleries rent their space to the artists for a given time, from two to four weeks. The gallery organizes the varnishing-day and provides a presence during opening hours. In spite of the quality of the work that we saw the reception was rather cold and distant. 

There are also traditional galleries. Our preferred one was a naive art gallery in Lourmarin. We almost missed it because the poster in the window had suffered from the sun of Provence and was rather fade. But once in, we discovered a fantastic world of naïve art, and the reception was very warm. Our “coup de cœur” went to Alain Carron and his “burlesque imaginary”. Amazing!

Then there are the artists’ studios with some pleasant surprises. Our “coup de cœur” went to a couple of Bonnieux. She signs Ruggeri, he signs Janin. She is a short, energetic woman with red hair. Red poppies. I couldn’t help congratulating her on her hairstyle, what made her laugh. She works mainly with pastel, him with oil. Both paint still lives, landscapes, people from Arles in traditional costumes and nudes. High level work!

July 31, 2009