One to Watch
Antoine Cordet
After a brief stint studying architecture and furniture design, Paris-based artist Antoine Cordet decided instead to pursue a full-time career as a painter.
Working primarily with acrylics on canvas, his style is a synthesis of realism and abstraction. His melancholic portraits feature subjects colored with mute tones of blacks, whites, and greys, that are then injected with dashes of electric blues, greens, and reds. He also applies thin layers of semi-transparent white pigment across his subjects’ faces, rendering them devoid of emotion.
Antoine has exhibited in both solo and group shows in Paris at M Gallery, El Gallery, and Spree Gallery; he also has exhibited at the Soho Gallery in Osaka, Japan. In April, he received an award from the Academie des Beaux-Arts.
What are the major themes you pursue in your work?
The major theme that I pursue is portraiture. It’s very interesting to work with, as there are many combinations in order to explain feelings. It also allows me to meet people when I’m looking for models. It’s a great job.
What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
Work hard.
Prefer to work with music or in silence?
I prefer to work with sound, so sometimes I paint with either music or with TV. I need background noise in order to paint. Listening to background noise has become a habit, almost like a reflex.
If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
It’s a difficult question, but maybe a piece by Nicola Samori entitled, “Dettaglio.”
Who are your favorite writers?
I like William Burroughs, Françoise Sagan, and Tom Wolfe.
