Interview with Emdad Rahman
I was fortunate to bump into the immensely talented Cedric Carre during a visit to The Gallery On Redchurch Street, Shoreditch.
The brilliant artist was on a short visit to the capital as part of his debut London Show which features his latest paintings of Urban Landscapes.
The exhibition formally opened by the renowned counter-tenor James Bowman consists of recent work from his ‘Urban Landscapes’ series, which sees him document the urban periphery – that space which sits, undefined, between city and countryside.
Depicting, in an almost literal sense, these ‘no-man’s lands’, Carré’s paintings are eerily absent of people, or any sign of their existence, bar the man-made objects that occupy them. The work seems to present an abandoned, perhaps even alien world, yet the repeated inclusion of these constructions allows us a sense of comfort that can only come from recognition.
Pylons and industrial buildings all feature highly in the paintings. Urban landmarks, with which we are all familiar, become, in Carré’s hands, worthy in their own right of aesthetic appreciation rather than just objects of necessity to contemporary living. Roads, another of Carré’s favourite subjects, reassure us by offering an escape from these deserted non-places back to, or away from civilization – and a chance to follow those natural instincts towards society or into the freedom of isolation.
Since his graduation from ESAAT in 1989, Carre has presented several exhibitions in France and is widely recognised as one of the most promising artists of our time. His work is now part of several private collections and can be increasingly found on public display in France, London, San Francisco, Washington and Libreville. Carre is also collected by the Musee de la Piscine in Roubaix, which is currently exhibiting two of his paintings www.roubaix-lapiscine.com )
Carre said: “These urban landscapes are fragments of anonymous places haunted by human presence. There is no journey. One just moves from one point to another. Pylons and buildings can be found here and there. They intertwine from one canvas to another. They unfold continuously. The present is made permanent.”
Carre was born and raised in Roubaix, northern France, where he later studied fine art at the Ecoile Superieure d’Arts Appliques et Textiles (ESAAT). Here he developed his talent and concentrated on painting, which soon became his main activity. His work is influenced by Eugene Leroy and Charles Maussion – both of whom have become friends and mentors.
During our conversation the amiable Artist spoke of his dedication to art. “I’ve been involved in art for twenty five years,” said Cedric. “My passion is as strong as the first time I raised a paintbrush and I am fortunate that I have been able to provide pleasure to many people, whilst indulging in something I so cherish.”
Cédric Carré has shown widely throughout France and his work can be found in private collections and public galleries throughout Europe, including the Musée de la Piscine in Roubaix, which this summer acquired, and exhibits, a second piece of his work. With ‘Urban Landscapes’, his debut show in London this October, recognition of Carré as one of our most exciting and important contemporary artists is sure spread even farther.
‘Urban Landscapes’ was presented by Elizabeth and Olivier Beroud.
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