Patrick Chanéac

Patrick Chanéac

About the exhibition

The Play of Abstraction and the Esoteric

When I create a painting, three elements contribute to this creation:

The first is the geometric composition. I preferentially use the three basic geometric shapes for many compositions: the circle, the triangle, and the square. Geometric shapes, through their symbolic function, have the ability to influence and provoke feelings in the observer. They lead the viewer to see what is beyond the form, induce connections, and create links between what is visible and what is not.

The circle represents the finite and infinite whole, having neither beginning nor end, it symbolizes unity, infinity, perfection, eternity. The circle represents the world, it inspires universality. It represents Woman in her aspect of fecundity.

The square symbolizes the earth, Man, perfection. The square is solid, stable, neutral, and objective.

The triangle represents the holy trinity, unity, harmony, proportion, security, balance.

The second element is the flat color. As with shapes, colors resonate with feelings and emotions. They participate in the symbolic function.

Finally, the third element present in my paintings, which invites one to approach the work, to dialogue with it, to interact, is the presence of a multitude of graphic elements. They are a language. They are figurative or abstract graphics, signs, symbols, and imprints left by the application of previously sculpted stamps. The latter serve as links in the different paintings. They are a constant and markers of time. Worn out, they disappear to make way for new forms.

All these graphics, signs, symbols are a way of creating nuances in the different flat colors.

My painting is abstract and symbolic. In the series of paintings “25 keys to understanding contemporary art”, I use flat metal keys. They blend into the composition and the eye must be attentive if it wants to spot them.

Why keys? Again, for their symbolic character. The key is a symbol of knowledge, power, and intimacy. The key opens to understanding, unveils a mystery. It also symbolizes the initiatory path. These keys invite us to question the work and try to understand it.

Tilings

Some of my paintings are based on the technique of tiling. In this case, it involves completely covering the surface with a polygon. This geometric shape undergoes displacements (rotations, translations, reflections, symmetries). It is a very old technique that follows mathematical rules. There are only 17 types of plane tiling, which are classified according to the arrangement of rotations and symmetries.

Muslims decorate buildings with geometric patterns. They perfected them and raised them to a level of complexity and development never seen before. In the decorative motifs that adorn the faience in the Alhambra, there are regularities based on repetitive figures, colors that follow a design pattern.

We also find this same approach in the work of M.C. ESCHER. The compositions become multiple and the assembly of the forms creates surprising kinetic effects.