Young & Brilliant, that’s J.M. Robert. His art is so powerful, it will surround you and have you wondering what’s just happened.
The life of an artist always comes with that je ne sais qua, that bohemiam halo, that mistery. Luckily for us, this 29 year old artist from Burgundy (France), has opened up about life, arts, success and all that surrounds him.
Tell us something about your inspiration and how you got started in painting.
I started painting and drawing at a very young age, I was 5-6 years. I looked at a lot of painting books, I was really impressed and admired painters like Van Gogh, Monet, Soutine, Modigliani, Manet… They are the painters who still inspire me today.
My painting career took a turn when a gallery in Lyon (France) invited me to exhibit! I was very pleased to present my work! The exhibition was a success.
I am inspired by the cracks in the walls of our cities and the ones I saw during my travels that I could do on my paintings. In India, I loved the broken atmoshphere. I could stick some collages from Bombay and Goa.
How does your daily experience influence your artistic style?
I come from a small country town, there are a lot of things that happened at an artistic level but I soon moved to Paris for my studies in painting and decoration to enrich my culture and impregnate myself with the atmosphere of a big city like Paris. There’s huge exposure. I tried to see the maximum.
Street art culture / graffiti inspires me a lot in my work, painters such as Basquiat & Warhol have allowed me to find my painting style. The mood also inspires me. The place that inspires me most is the street when I walk.
In my studio there is often disorder, but I like working like this, I need a minimum of disorder so I can work. I work on a particular feeling. I must be able to take the color that I like on that moment. I often do all my paintings, spray, acrylic to my feet. Sometimes I flip pots on the floor, I do not even know where to put my feet!
I started my painting process by making abstract colorful backgrounds with mixture of spray and acrylic. I use several tools, such as knives, trowels to scratch, mix… then I put a female face on this very colorful background with black ink, hand-drawn.
Your most memorable experience in your career?
My craziest experience was my first trip to Hong Kong 3 years ago and I was able to make a live performance in front of the gallery in the middle of several skyscrapers. It was crazy!!!!
I am proud of all my paintings but more particularly of my large formats because it’s not easy to achieve such formats (2mx2m).
What would you be if you were not an artist?
What I like in this profession is the freedom! Not having a boss on the back everyday. I can create when I feel like it.
My dream is to exhibit in New York, I still have yet to visit this city but it has to be just crazy! The level of creativity, inspiration etc. My goal is to continue to evolve in my style.If I was to do something else, I would stay in the arts but more as a decorator, or work in the cinema.
Any advice for young artists?
I don’t really have an advice for young artists, but especially to believe in yourself!
*an interview with Vendome Magazine