Veronique Gambier
Born in the south of France, Véronique Gambier began painting at age 12, studying with French Master Pierre Pallut. She currently lives and works in Ghent, NY.
MessageStatement
I use carefully selected, concentrated watercolors or ink in my illustrative bodies of work. I strive to capture the essence of my chosen subject. My process balances immediacy with patience—my images are often realized with a combination of quick, instinctual gestures and a rigorous attention to material detail that requires extended time and experimentation to develop.
The works in my Botanical Studies series are comprised of flowers and other flora rendered in monochromatic silhouette. This body of work aims to reveal the bold power of life in its physical form. Working horizontally and on the ground, I use a rigorous and bold brushstroke to translate the shape of each flower. To some, the directness of my mark and absence of color may seem violent and contradictory when imagining the delicacy of flower petals. Yet this intentional gesture is meant to honor the force within the plant—a flower that braves the elements and human pollution each day. I typically observe and paint the flower from a vantage point that mimics its natural height, making our presence equivalent and allowing me to properly acknowledge its singularity and dignity.
My Animal Studies series was born out of a previous body of work that has fascinated me for years—Little Red Riding Hood. Studying and exploring the fairly tale led me to develop new depictions of the wolf in the story. I was particularly interested in exploring the unrevealed side of the subject: the way innocence comes with sin, softness with danger. In an effort to better understand this character, I began painting a series of individual wolves, with each image displaying a different pose and perspective of the animal. Attempts to softness and humanize the wolf resulted in excluding the color black, limiting my palette to indigo, and working in a small scale. From here, other forest creatures began to emerge—rabbits, bears, birds. The Animal Studies has since expanded to include mammals found in a variety of landscapes. Like the Botanical Studies, these works are rendered with a monochromatic palette and loose brushwork; a method that preserves the energy of my subject. I prioritize each animal’s movement and temperament above strict representation of its form.
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