Part 2 of two-part series. Read Part 1 here.
“In the history of art, Cubism has always been a particular artistic current. The creators of cubism, Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso and the other masters of Cubism, lived in a period that was rich in encounters. They met with great intellectuals, writers, thinkers and philosophers. These encounters influenced their research on Cubism.”
These musings on the origins and progression come from the mind of the contemporary Cubism revivalist, Alain Beraud. His reach in the fine art world ever expanding, he graciously took some time to break down the now under-explored medium that transformed artistic expression in the early 20th century.
Of the early masters and their work, Alain is reverent. “The Cubist current was rich in its intellectual and philosophical approaches.” He observes that Cubism embodies a curious duality in that it is both abstract in its communication, but literal in its construction.
“There is, in Cubism, an almost mathematical approach to the “destructuring” of things and perspectives. Everything is questioned and so everything is allowed. It is this very creative approach that interests me beyond the pure creative process. No more taboo, no more norms, no more barriers apart from those of the imagination.”
Beraud recalls his own introduction to the world of art and those who create it. “My father was an extraordinary painter and it was he who gave me this fantastic culture in the field of art, from painting to music.” In this way, Alain highlights a theme echoed by so many fine artists throughout history: a love of art is passed down through generations.
In his early years, Alain Beraud ventured into storytelling and artistic expression through the medium of motion pictures. “I had this immense chance to travel the world as a filmmaker for over 25 years. From my travels to the four corners of the world I have, during these years reaped experiences, symbols. Today these symbols I find in my paintings.”
“Whether it is African influences or Arab or Latin influences, there are always traces of these many journeys in my artistic work. All these encounters permeate my paintings. “Cubism allows total freedom of interpretation and it is what interests me, pushing back the barriers of creation and telling stories through my paintings.”
“La Connaissance” by Beraud
We asked Alain, “Why Cubism?” What is it about this abstract and remarkable style that drew him in? He calls his new explorations in the form ‘neo-cubism.’
“For me the Neo-Cubist appellation is the continuation of Cubism. Nearly a century later it seems to me important to restore its nobleness to this current milieu of painting. Cubism marked the history of contemporary painting and yet has not found many successors. Today, I wish to bring this intellectual dimension to Neo-cubism.”
The works of Alain Beraud are currently featured in exhibitions all over the world, from Hong Kong to New York. You can see a wonderful selection of his work here.
