A look back at the Adrien A.Ribet,
“Du Sabord à la Fenêtre”
- The title of your exhibition is “Du Sabord à la Fenêtre” “from the scuttle to the window”: how did you choose this title and what does it refer to?
The scuttle, a word which has several meanings is, among other things, an opening to the outside of a boat to allow an air inlet. I use this word in this exhibition title to represent my position (below deck) for many years in a sailboat. As for the word “window”, it locates my current position.
- The landscapes of your life often change, but the water remains present. What does the sea represent for you, the subject of your current works ?
For me, the oceans represent instability, at least when you sail on it, and since the instability is constant, my ocean paintings reassures me …
- In your exhibition, you attach great importance to the mixture of art and craftsmanship. What are the reflections of your creations ?
There is often a kind of system, series and routine in craftsmanship. To me, the beginning of a working success is a balance between handcrafted production in reasonable quantities and the beauty of an artistic painting that seems fundamentally different from other paintings.
- How do the lives of a cook and an artist fit together, and how are art and cooking similar ?
From my experience, it is physically easier to paint than to cook, maybe it’s a question of timings? That said for my well-being, it is as important mindfully to produce pieces of art, as important to cook for the mechanism of the body.
I actually notice many similarities between those two professions. For example: when I make a recipe and I want to repeat this same recipe in the future, the chances of finding identical tastes and textures are low. I feel the same about painting. In the end, the surprise of a good result is a pleasure but the mastery of manufacturing is a talent.
Three years ago I was talking about art brut and singular, today my definition of those types of arts are still the same, yet, I still see a difference:
In my opinion, the materials used in singular art are more subtle and the approach more thoughtful, whereas raw art would seem to me to be a question of spontaneity in the choice of materials with a result called: “in its own juice”, in both cases, the hand transforms the idea.
In the end, an unexpected rendering is a pleasure, but the mastery of manufacturing is a talent.