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 Paysages 1996-1998
This series of works is
based on video studies of the
unusual
and historic landscapes, which Simpson often visits in France. The
Fontainebleau Forest near Paris has remained an obsessive subject for
the artist
since his 1995 visit
there. He was attracted initially by the strange rock formations
which
resemble animals like tortoises, seals, or unidentified chimeras
complete
with scales and other natural features. However,
it was the actual forest settings, made famous by 19th
century artists, which made the strongest impression.
A highly unusual tract of land, once the hunting ground of France's kings, Fontainebleu is known as the home of the Barbizon School, Millet, Diaz and Rousseau, and as the birthplace of Impressionism. It was here that Monet, Bazaille, Renoir, Signac and Cezanne did their canvases in plein air, bringing a new sense of colour and light to painting. It is an area full of painterly motifs where Simpson, primarily an abstract painter, found new inspiration for a landscape series.
All Images
@ Gregg Simpson.
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