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By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Canadian artist Sylvain Tremblay's hauntingly beautiful paintings are filled with emaciated human forms reminiscent of Alberto Giacometti's sculptures and rich colors that evoke Gustav Klimt's paintings. Yet the entire composition is transformed into something that is uniquely Tremblay's.
A graphic illustrator-turned-artist, Tremblay knew he wanted to create something different from what other artists were doing, but never thought his experiments in painting would amount to anything.
``I was always experimenting. When I was making it, I thought nobody would like it. But I liked it and wanted to do it, so I continued doing it. I was surprised when people liked it," he told The Korea Times over coffee at the Opera Gallery in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul last week.
The 42-year-old artist was in town for the opening of his first exhibition in Seoul. It was his 25th show, having staged exhibitions in New York, Paris, London, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Tremblay, who was born in Quebec, Canada, said his parents and siblings were not particularly artistic but his grandmother was a painter. ``She died when I was eight, but she told my grandfather, 'Give my studio and art materials to Sylvain.' I got it when I was 11 and I started painting," he said.
His parents were very supportive of his artistic endeavors. When he was 16, he had his first exhibition, mainly featuring landscapes. Later, he studied graphic arts and worked as an illustrator in the advertising industry.
But Tremblay never forgot about painting. When he was 34, he quit his job to concentrate solely on art.
``What was difficult when you change from advertising to art is that you are now creating your own world. You had to find a style that when someone looks at your painting, they can recognize you. The most difficult thing to do is to be recognized. Today it is important to be unique," he said.
So Tremblay experimented with new ways of painting, getting inspiration from some great artists. ``When I went to London, I saw the works by Spanish artist (Antoni) Tapies. It opened my eyes and I began to experiment. Klimt inspired me with his ornamentation. The biggest inspiration is Giacometti in the way that he suggests and he doesn't show every detail," he said.
Tremblay's canvas paintings are characterized by thick layers of dark colored paint, contrasting matte and glossy and grainy textures that create an almost sculpture-like quality.
Inspiration is everywhere for Tremblay. He likes to walk around to observe the city and always has a sketchbook in his pocket because he's constantly sketching.
``Every day, I set aside 20 minutes to just sketch. The first sketches are like going to the same route every day. It's very comfortable. Everyone is afraid of change because we don't want it. I can sketch 10 to 20 ideas but only one or two are really new ideas. What is dangerous is if you do the same thing again," he said.
So what's next for Tremblay? He has just finished sculpture lessons and is ready to begin making sculptures for his next project.
The Montreal-based artist is even considering moving to Asia for its vibrant art scene and sunny weather.
``The artists (in Asia) are very good and have a very fresh vision. I like being inspired. In the past, the artists go to Paris to be inspired but I think it is now Asia. It's opened my mind. … I'd like to move somewhere to get new inspiration. We're looking at Asia. I like the sun. The problem is (in Montreal) during winter, the sun sets around 4 p.m. I like to work with natural light, so at 4 p.m., it gets dark and I'm finished," he laughed.
Tremblay is holding a joint exhibition, ``Timeless," with Israeli artist Samy Briss at Opera Gallery Seoul through March 10. The gallery is located on the ground floor of the Nature Poem Building, Cheongdam-dong. Visit www.operagallery.com or call (02) 3446-0070.
cathy@koreatimes.co.kr
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