Exhibition L'Esprit de Gaïa - Paintings

“This new series of paintings, entitled ‘The Spirit of Gaia’, follows on from two others dedicated to our Earth: ‘Acid Rain’ and ‘Carbon Footprints’, both of which were deliberately rendered in black. Despite their titles, these series were not intended to pass judgement, nor to alarm, but simply to make an observation. For ‘The Spirit of Gaia’, the artistic approach has evolved, aiming to be less systematic. The scar-like marks of ‘Acid Rain’ and ‘Carbon Footprints’ give way to what I would describe as ‘scar tissue’. Indeed, the pure ivory black gives way to a dark, earthy, telluric hue, where what might be perceived as charred wood rests upon potential yet discreet rock strata... This new series, situated between painting and bas-relief, evokes a geological memory and erosion, presented in a more serene vision. A faint light appears in the fissures, and the presence of fibrous elements evokes both the geological landscape and lyrical or informal abstraction, using a deliberately restricted palette. My preferred format remains 100 cm x 100 cm, which best suits my creative scale, and whilst a conventional viewing allows one to take a step back, it also enables a closer examination of this microcosm...’ Born in 1963, Bertrand Got trained for two years at a school of decorative arts in Paris, before taking on various roles – as a layout artist in publishing, then as art director at a luxury magazine, and finally as a layout artist at an architectural practice for eight years. In 2003, he turned his attention to decorative wall painting and the creation of one-off pieces of furniture. Then, from 2010 onwards, artistic painting and sculpture came to satisfy his ceaseless creative urge. Bertrand Got now lives in La Rochelle.