The Axelle Fine Arts Galerie in Soho is currently presenting a
collection of work by Eric Roux-Fontaine for an exhibition titled Jardins Secrets (“Secret Gardens”). For his third solo show at the gallery, Roux-Fontaine
presents several ethereal paintings that smoothly blend the thin line between
fantasy and reality that have been inspired by personal dreams, memories, and
experiences that the artist has had in certain places.
For instance, the image Around Midnight’s Garden illustrates a
man walking through a wooded area as he pulls a hose across a body of water,
with a small cabin that can be seen in the background. Another aesthetically
pleasing image titled Atuona includes
warm shades of orange yellow to illustrate the light in the sky shining over a
land of tall, skinny trees and a lake where a deer and some birds can be seen
by the edge.
Roux-Fontaine effectively
captures notions of joy and innocence with works such as Solstice and Mermaid Avenue that
feature amusement park rides like ferris wheels and swings very likely inspired
by nostalgic, childhood memories. Other works that reflect carefree ideals
include Goya’s Dream and An Ordinary Man that both illustrate a
man falling from the sky on a warm summer night with his arms and legs spread
out as though he were flying freely in the wide, open space.
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| Aven pach mende (2015) by Eric Roux-Fontaine |
The notion of light emerging from
darkness is effectively illustrated in Aven
pach mende where a group of trees in a forest make way for a path of water
that leads to a white tent set up out in the distance. The image is dark all
around with the clusters of leaves formed by the tree branches and a group of
black birds flying on the left, but a ray of light shines very brightly in the
middle right where the tent is, which most likely represents where a special
event took place, possibly a wedding ceremony.
Roux-Fontaine also offers a
series of paintings set in or reflecting the moon and outer space. These
include Moon Walk featuring a boy walking with his hands on the moon’s surface, Moon Dog featuring a dog running across
the moon, or So Faraway So Close that
features a girl standing on the moon, holding an umbrella and looking through a
telescope.
Another piece titled La voce
della luna (the voice beyond the moon) includes theatrical elements as the
moon is seen in the center of a stage of a theater and several birds flying
from the balcony seats eager to make an exciting journey exploring the unknown.
A similar image titled Fitzcarraldo also
depicts a stage with the curtains revealing trees and sunlight that birds flock
to from the balcony into the natural world.
At The Axelle Fine
Arts Galerie, 472 West Broadway, through Jun. 28. The gallery is open from 10
a.m.—7 p.m.
