“Between, In, Behind, Under, On…”, 2020

(Georges-Philippe and Nathalie Vallois Gallery)

For his latest exhibition at Galerie Georges-Philippe et Nathalie Vallois, Gilles Barbier presents a new series of large paintings: Entre, Dans, Derrière, Sous, Sur… [Between, In, Behind, Under, On…] This sequence of grammatical prepositions announces the title of each work Derrière la vitre (la Pluie) [Behind the Glass (Rain)], Entre les Plis (les Souvenirs) [Between the Folds (Memories)]…. But formally, these prepositions of place reveal a system in which the paint is built up in layers, superimposed or subtracted from one another, occupying both the front and back of the support. The translucent polyester support allows for mental and pictorial gymnastics, a game of hide-and-seek that introduces transparency and opacity. These paintings also herald the new direction taken by Gilles Barbier, notably with the series Naufrages [Shipwrecks]. At the same time, he shows Bodegónes, sculptures paying homage to the painter Juan Sanchez Cotán (1560 – 1627). This Spanish master of the Golden Age, whose glazes and mathematical constructions are also organized in strata, fascinates Gilles Barbier. These Bodegónes are a reminder of the extent to which the genre of the Still Life plays an essential role in the artist’s work.