Mar 31, 2021

"Like life, chalk drawings are here for a short time, and go away with rain"

Antoine Paris

Artist

Paris, France

I am a 35-year-old French painter, living in Paris since 15 years, native of the north of France. My work has been exhibited for 10 years in London, Berlin, Bruxelles, Stuttgart, Boston, Montreal, Roma… I was born into an artist family : my father had a little Theatre and I saw many Ionesco and absurd Theatre plays when I was a child. I create some transitory chalk stuff in the street, and people can draw with me. It’s interesting because like life, chalk drawings are here for a short time, and go away with rain. Like the last monologue in Ridley Scott’s Blade runner « tears in rain ». I created a magazine, Grosse victime magazine, and I prepare the 5th issue. The last one was on the thematic of Blade runner and has been selected in the great international festival of Angoulême in France. A lot of artists worked on it : Martes Bathori, Lucie Morel, Laure Crubilé, Nikolaï Dumpty… A lot of cool artists, often unknown of general public, but very talented. It’s like a collective at large…

My inspiration : for the painting and drawing : George Grosz, Otto Dix, Picasso, Dali, Winsor Mac Cay, Topor, Combas… I love books, spend my time in bookshop : Baudelaire, Céline, Henry Miller… I love poetry and write some rap since I’m teenager. I have created a Graphic-poem during first lockdown in France and try to publish it for the moment. Cinema, music, Theatre… I’m curious of everything ! I always work with music.

Two of my books and some fanzines/ magazines were published in France : Peau d’encre, a book on a guy who was born tattooed and another one which is complicated to explain, inspirited by Edward Gorey. I try to create with original forms: I try to find new forms of creation, like Burroughs’s cut-up… I love The surrealists movement, but Also Dada with George Ribemont Dessaignes, and Cravan « J’étais cigare », Scum Manifesto, Hugo Pratt’s Watercolors… Many treasures… Art is a relay race ! When I write a book, I don’t know where I go, I let myself go looking for mystery and follow my instinct. It’s the same thing for canvases and drawings… I work with a Belgian group who makes great labyrinths in alternative spaces (with slides, many stairs, hidden bars…) « Hey là bas », I draw for Soldes almanach which the legend says that Andy Warhol wanted to create it… Devos gallery in Paris supports my works since 10 years, I work with many bookshop… I make some pop-up books for « les Libraires associés » which is a hidden bookshop in the north of Paris which is like Ali baba’s cavern. I work with L’Officine, a little and cute gallery in Menilmontant in Paris, (they publish the magazine). With some friends we made some short films, which were selected by some festival, and showed in great cinemas like St-André-des-arts (lesfilmsducagibi.org)... There are many things to say, many interesting artists and art-spaces to talk about… I love my work, my passion. Art is my life goal, and I don’t know if I can say more ;) I hope my english is not too bad, and you are lucky : it’s written you have not to ear my french-accent !