Fabienne Verdier- Retables, Waddington Custot, London - Flipbook - Page 10
THIS DAY
WHEN LIFE
HAS WINGS
For her third exhibition at Waddington Custot, Fabienne Verdier unveils a
new series of paintings, a collection that she has reverently created over
nearly four years. Yet these are not merely paintings; they are altarpieces.
Standing in their presence is a uniquely moving experience so, having had
the great privilege of discovering them in Fabienne’s studio, I want to share
the profound emotions they stir. Allow me to transport you there.
Our adventure begins with an hour’s drive from Paris, culminating in the
picturesque landscape of rapeseed and wheat fields that adorn the hills
and plains around Auvers-sur-Oise. In this quaint village, the tall skylight of
Fabienne’s studio signals our arrival at her creative sanctuary.
Inside, you notice what appear to be wooden frames mounted on the walls:
triptychs, with their side panels folded inwards. A narrow gap between
the two panels reveals first hints of dynamic shapes, enigmatic on vibrant
fields of colourful pigment.
As you approach, a sense of intrigue takes hold. You see two small black
hinges at the top and bottom of the altarpieces, beckoning you to explore
further. You are compelled to extend your hand and open the first section
in a graceful semicircle motion. The panel unfolds, revealing the left side of
the painting. A few steps to the side and you stand before the second panel,
on the right of the painting. With a similar motion, you open it and fully
unveil the painting within.
Stepping back, you find yourself captivated and immersed in the painting,
which begins on one side panel, elegantly traverses the central section, and
continues onto the opposite side. It evokes the delicate beauty of butterfly
wings, the sweeping panoramic view of a landscape or the profound emotion
of encountering a new horizon. Our binocular vision allows us to perceive
an interplay between the two sides of the altarpiece; our retinas function
like stereoscopic sensors, capturing the painting in its spatial context.
In this series, Fabienne Verdier has imagined an anthology of the world’s
energy. Her painted altarpieces express this existential vitality, their
varied surfaces a register of the dynamic forces that shape the world. To
discover each altarpiece is a journey of revelations, a journey signposted
by the artwork titles:
Tu rêves près des ondes (You dream near the waves)
Ce qui sans bruit chemine (That which quietly makes its way)
Les aiguilles, de nuit et de silence (The needles, of night and of silence)
Me promenant par les chemins broussailleux (Walking along scrubby paths)
Rien que le grand air (Nothing but fresh air)
Dans la forêt (In the forest)
Vers le Grand Nord (Towards the Far North)
Tempête (Thunderstorm)
Aux échelles du vent (On the wings of the wind)
Au chemin des éclairs (On the path of lightning)
Les racines de la terre (The roots of the earth)
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