Who are you?
Works on View: September 1st – 30th 2012
Artist’s Reception: September 9th 2012 1:00pm to 4:00pm
In Jean Simard’s art, whimsy, reflection and wonder are intertwined to create powerful images. Painting, he believes, is a mysterious process that is like exploring through a microscope, discovering the unexpected, opening new options. The work supports a strong sense of marvel for the wonders of the world we live in, for the possibilities that one encounters when discovering that “things are often not what they seem”.
Born in Belgium in 1946, Jean Simard has always been interested in art. Simard enrolled at the Saydie Bronfman Art Center in Montreal in the mid ’80’s and since then has actively pursued this passion. In 1996, he moved to Princeton, NJ, where he currently resides. Simard then studied at Artworks in Trenton, and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, focusing on lithography.
From the artist:
WHO ARE YOU?
Pictures, pictures, pictures. I used to collect them. I still do.
When I finally decided to make my own, I discovered a new world. The picture, be it drawn or painted, was never what I imagined it would be. After years of struggle, it became evident that the painful effort to create an image might not be the way for me. It never “looked” like I expected it would.
Yet there was a sense of accomplishment in the process. I liked some of the lines, some of the colors touched some inner cord, the actual physical act of drawing and painting brought relief, a connection with another world.
Good enough reasons to pursue in and of themselves. And I did.
People ask, what do you paint?. Elements of past experiences, thoughts, desires are everywhere. Surprisingly, for me, they are often like shamans, as though the pencil or the paint are magic rattles from which pour forth unexpected insights. They ask: Who are You? They invite reflection, and at times, offer options.
E. H. (Jean Simard)