ROBERT MARCHESSAULT | AN EXCHANGE OF FORCES
Sanostee, oil and acrylic on panel, 48 x 40 inches
Robert Marchessault's work continues to focus on responding to space, form and color in landscapes. Using the genre of landscape, Marchessault references an awareness and concern for our natural ecology. While his work showcases the beauty in the natural world, the stresses are equally evident.
Marchessault uses a number of techniques, using acrylic and oil paints plus various custom tools, to achieve this. Painting in stages, he uses the energy of his body with expressive movements and gestures to apply the paint in a way that shows natural forces. In the later stages of a work, he slowly goes in with smaller brushes to bring out specific details and textures that contrast with larger spaces.
Departure, oil and acrylic on panel, 12 x 24 inches
This year I spent time in the marine forests along the Atlantic Coast of Georgia. The windswept trees that hold the dunes against the sea excited me. I present some paintings from a new ongoing series exploring this subject. The exhibition title, An Exchange of Forces, implies that the elements composing my paintings cannot be isolated but require a dynamic exchange to achieve my intent.
Typically, I work rapidly during the initial painting stages. I use the energy of my body with expressive movements and gestures to apply the paint in a way that shows natural forces. In the later stages of a work, I slowly go in with smaller brushes to bring out specific details and textures that contrast with larger spaces. - Robert Marchessault
Beach, oil and acrylic on panel, 48 x 96 inches (triptych)
Robert Marchessault received a Visual Arts Diploma from Dawson College, Montreal, QC; a BFA from Concordia University, Montreal, QC; and an MA from Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. His work has been shown internationally including at Gotland Museum, Visby, Sweden, and many galleries across North America. He has received dozens of awards including a Canada Council Travel Grant and has received extensive press coverage. Marchessault’s paintings are in numerous art collections such as 20th Century Fox, Bank of Montreal, Rothschilds Inc, and Royal Bank.