François Samson
Francois began his career in the construction business, working on roads and buildings in his home province of Quebec. His passion for art was discovered quite by accident, having walked into an art gallery that was showing the collected works of Richard Mills. Upon viewing these works he was struck by the beauty and complicity of the works. In that instant he knew his life was forever changed having discovered within himself the need to paint.
His time up to this point had been spent questioning the meaning of imagery and trying to transform ideas into matter. It was as if he had always subconsciously been a painter, even though he had never been in direct contact with painting. Samson handcrafts his canvases, mounting them on deep frames to helps create a tangible sense of depth or relief. He then further develops the piece by applying his own signature technique, creating concave dips and intricate recesses in the canvas. His palette consists of rich shades of crimson, blue, rust, muddy and yellowed green and bold white. The textures moving across the surface are generous and expressive.
It is sometimes difficult to discern a particular theme on first viewing. Each piece conveys natural and industrial familiarities reflecting his experience in the construction field. Glimpses of faces emerge, alluding to something personal, a deep inner dialogue. Texturally his canvases read as maps, smooth planes upon which geographical features are arranged to form a rugged and unpredictable landscape. Samson asks us (the viewer) to reconsider our preconceived notions of aesthetics by re-presenting unrefined, organic elements in the contained setting of his recessed canvases knowing that this will allow viewers to grapples the works density in a progressive manner.
Unlike artists who deliver output with a clearly defined interpretive agenda, he would like to see us load his pieces with individual sentiment filling the alcoves with our own personal history. Samson is inspired by his own life. His work has a strong autobiographical context without it ever overwhelming his entire concept. The artist explains what draws him in As in my previous work, I am still deeply influenced by the inherent dichotomy between urban and rural. In the countryside, I am simultaneously inspired by the tranquility that surrounds me, by the sheer force and strength of the natural world. However, I also draw inspiration from the vigor and excitement of city life. Therefore, my characters evolve in a world which intersects with both realities and which attempts to negotiate the difference between these dualities. The resolution to this variance is undoubtedly to find balance within this natural opposition: a balance between the roads and the ladders, between the sky scrappers and the cottages, between the noise and the silence.
Francois Samsons unique ability to blend opposing forces will continue to excite and intrigue his viewing audience ensuring his works remain new for years to come. |
