At One with Nature
An American Artist in Residence
The Floralies d’Antibes takes place every May to celebrate the arrival of spring and is hosted by Antibes and Juan-les Pins. Part of this annual festival includes the Villa Eilenroc open day. On this day the Villa opens it’s doors to the public from 9.30 until 7pm. Visitors can enjoy a stroll through the Villas gardens and also visit the beautiful Rosarie which is now in full bloom. This year, in addition to the gardens being open all day long, there will also be a series of conferences and workshops for visitors throughout the day.
As part of the Floralies d’Antibes, this year Eilenroc is also hosting an exhibition of paintings by the American contemporary nature artist Gianne de Genevraye . Gianne spent two months living and painting in Antibes in 2017 as part of the cities artist in residence programme. During this residency Gianne chose to paint solely in the gardens of Eilenroc and the results are now on display inside the villa from the 26th of May until the 15th of September.
Until meeting Gianne I had no idea that Antibes even had an ‘Artist in Residence’ programme so I was interested to find out from Gianne how the opportunity came about and why she chose to come to Antibes to paint.
What brought you to Antibes and how did the Artist in Residence come about?
I am originally from California, although I also live part of the year in France. So it started when I approached Newport with a proposal of painting nature in their sister cities around the world. Antibes turned out to be one of those sister cities so I sent off a request to come and paint the gardens here. The city accepted my request and in 2017 I had the honour of being invited to stay in the Villa Fontaine for two months. My invitation was made possible through the Mairies ‘Artist in residence’ programme.
The programme has been running for many years and Artists come all year round from all over the world to paint in the city. The only application criteria is that you must have an overseas address and that, at the end of the residency, you donate one piece of work to the City of Antibes. I decided to donate two pieces one of which is here at Eileroc in the gift shop. The other piece is in the culture offices of Antibes. The offices are full of art now as you can imagine.
Tell me a little about how the residency works?
As Artist in Residence you are provided with accommodation at the Villa Fontaine throughout your stay. The Villa Fontaine is a small apartment in a small commune of Antibes called Safranier. The apartment is owned by the city just like the Villa Eilenroc, and is used solely for artists in residence.
Villa Fontaine was originally owned by Madame Fontaine who then gifted it to the city with the stipulation that it be used as accommodation for visiting Artists. I believe that this is how the current Artist in Residence programme came about.
So the city gives you the apartment, then you have to figure out what you are going to do. You are essentially just left to get on with it for 2 months.
During my two months I chose to paint exclusively in the Gardens here at Eilenroc.
After introducing myself to Isabelle Pasquini, the director, I explained my project and what I wanted to do. Isabelle very kindly agreed to let me base myself at Eilenroc and also provided me with a working studio which was amazing.
When I paint I paint outdoors which means I have to carry my easel and my canvases which you can see are quite large. This makes it impossible for me to drive somewhere, set up, Paint and then take everything away again. I need to have a studio space where I can keep everything and Isabelle kindly provided me with that. At some point during my residency Isabelle expressed a love for my work and asked me if I would like to exhibit my finished paintings during the villas very special annual open day. So that’s how the exhibition came about and why I am here today setting up the paintings.
Was this your first time as an Artist In Residence?
No Not at all it was actually my 14th artist residency. I am starting my 15th residency next week which is probably the most amazing one I have to date. I will be painting the Parc de Bagatelle in Paris for two months which, for me, is a dream come true.
Which came first the passion for flowers or the painting?
It’s plants actually. I am not a flower painter. As a contemporary artist I can’t be a flower painter. I paint plants and I paint nature. I have always loved gardens since I was a small girl. My favourite thing in the world was and still are gardens.
Throughout my life I have traveled a great deal and what I always want to see wherever I go are the gardens. Some people want to see the architecture or the pubs or the churches or go shopping but my thing is always to see the gardens. Even as a child that’s what I wanted to see. So I guess the passion for nature possibly came first however I have always loved to paint too.
How long have you been a Contemporary nature painter?
Originally I was trained at the university of California Irvine in fine art but during the minimalist period. Therefore we never really did any real ‘Painting’. My studies were all conceptual and theoretical. In 1986, after completing my studies, I moved to Paris and it was then that I realised that I wasn’t able to paint the things I wanted to paint.
My work was about the infinite and all kinds of intellectual things. I was painting from my head and not from my heart. So, finally, in the mid 90’s I found a Maestro in Paris that could teach me everything I wanted to learn about actual Painting. I had this really wonderful critical theoretical background in contemporary art but I craved classical French Beaux Arts instruction. This is what I got from the Maestro in Paris.
I worked and learned with him for the following 5 years.
Now, with those two disciplines together, I have come to this new field of contemporary art which in my opinion is, as yet, unexplored. At least I don’t know anyone else who is doing what I am doing. There are plenty of people out there painting flowers and little picket fences but not in the same style as I paint. What differentiates me from the classic Plein Air painter is that Plein Air paintings are usually very small. My paintings are large. Plein Air painting is very tight and highly rendered. My work is very loose and open rendered. Classic Plein Air is always about distance with a body of water and sky. My compositions are all up close.
So I have completely separated myself from the Plein Air movement.
I do paint in Plein Air but no one calls me a Plein Air artist. I am a Contemporary Nature Painter. This puts me in a contemporary arena but it also puts me in a space that’s kind of un-classifiable.
This can be a good thing but it can also be a terrible thing when you have to enter jury shows. I just don’t fit in anywhere. This is actually what led me to become a public artist and this is what I have been pursuing for the last 9 years. By Public Artist I mean that I only paint in public gardens and I only exhibit in public spaces. In this capacity I have now completed 14 residencies around the world including in Mexico and Japan.
Which has been your favorite garden so far?
They are all so exceptional but it would have to be the Ninfa garden just outside of Rome. That was amazing. But then there is also La Mortella in Ischia, Hanbury Garden in Liguria and Tresco Abbey Garden in Cornwall.
Which garden would you still most love to paint?
Well Bagatelle was my dream but I have now accomplished that with my upcoming residency. I guess I will have to think of a new dream Garden to paint. I think I would like to explore South America and there are also a couple of beautiful gardens in South Africa however I am afraid to travel there alone as a woman. We will have to see what the future brings, but for me the story is just beginning.
To see more of Giannes work visit her website here
Giannes’ Paintings are on display at Eilenroc from Saturday the 26th of May until the 15th of September.
The Villa is open to the public every Wednesday from 14h and entry is 2 euros.
Opening times are subject to change so please check with the villa before you visit.
460 Avenue Mrs Beaumont, 06160 Antibes
T: 04 93 67 74 33
Take the No.2 bus from Antibes and then it is a short walk along Avenue Mrs Beaumont.
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