What inspired you to create works of art and to become an artist? (Events, feelings, experiences...)
As far back as I can remember, I have always been enthusiastic about drawing and painting, but my very first encounter with art was decisive. It was at the age of 7 that I saw my first painting exhibition; it was an exhibition by Raoul Dufy and I was hypnotized by so much freedom, beauty and mastery. I didn't think that one could transmit so much emotion and joy through a medium that I used daily. I think that's when a passion was born and the interest in graphic arts aroused by this first encounter with modern art has never left me.
What is your artistic background, the techniques and subjects you have experimented with so far?
I first took classes at EMAP Villa Thiole in Nice, then cartoon classes at the Palais des Congrès in Nice. I quickly started creating works that at the time, in the late 80s, were close to the spirit of free figuration. I then took the pseudonym of Raymond X in order to create, in complete anonymity, paintings on paper which I then stuck on city walls. In search of more freedom in my practice, almost without realizing it, my work has slowly taken a more abstract direction even if my first loves are never far away...
What are the 3 aspects that differentiate you from other artists, making your work unique?
Resilience :
Things seem more beautiful to me when they are worn out, destructured and then recomposed in a concept of reinvention or rebirth. The principle of recycling objects and materials is essential for me.
Joy / Pleasure:
The time I devote to creation is always exhilarating and happy even in this time of crisis and ambient gloom. In essence, I seek to create original and joyful works in order to diffuse and ultimately transmit positive emotions.
Psychology :
I am continually looking for work that reveals my personality, using art as a medium that can make it appear.
Where does your inspiration come from?
I live in Corsica and I must say that it is a land enjoying an extraordinary natural heritage which allows you to live in permanent contact with a preserved and powerful nature. I particularly like life by the sea and all that can be found on the beaches, natural or manufactured objects washed up, weathered and worn by salt and the elements. I also have fond memories of extraordinary playful constructions, made with my daughters on the beaches of the Island of Beauty.
What is your artistic approach? What visions, sensations or feelings do you want to evoke in the viewer?
The transformation of objects, the joy of DIY, the reuse of paper, cardboard, fragments of everyday objects, everything is good for me in order to play with materials, create volumes, make stencils... I think that in the years to come we will have to learn to "do" with what has already been produced. It is a fatality and a necessity but must we necessarily apprehend things in a negative way?
What is the process of creating your works? Spontaneous or with a long preparatory process (technical, inspiration from art classics or other)?
It is very variable, sometimes many sketches and studies are necessary in order to refine, to refine the final realization and other times the creative process is more spontaneous, more instinctive. I need an alternation of the modus operandi in order to "open up the creative field" and maintain a form of freshness.
Do you use a particular working technique? if so, can you explain it?
Sensitive to ecological problems, I try as much as possible to work with recycled objects such as old cardboard boxes, scrap wood and various objects intended for scrap which will be used, among other things, as stencils in the realization of paintings and assembly sculptures.
Are there any innovative aspects in your work? Can you tell us which ones?
I try to invent little stories and create graphic poems. Using the cut-up technique, invented by William Burroughs, I deconstruct the images and amalgamate the forms then recompose them, recycle them and "reincarnate" them, all this to reflect the cycle of life. I often draw inspiration from rock and jazz music as a creative starting point and play crazy lab in my studio. I experiment with all kinds of graphic techniques where shapes and materials interact and overlap to reflect my perception of the world.
Do you have a format or medium that you are most comfortable with? if yes, why ?
For the paintings, I particularly appreciate the large formats, the gesture is free, the immersion is total. It's a rather intoxicating graphic design experience. As for the sculptures, the work by accumulation of pieces of wood comes as a reflex. The construction and assembly phase is both comfortable and exciting whether on small or large formats. The two practices are for me very complementary and feed each other.
Where do you produce your works? At home, in a shared workshop or in your own workshop? And in this space, how do you organize your creative work?
I am lucky to have a workshop where I live. It is equipped with a few machines for woodworking such as a scroll saw, a belt sander on the one hand and on the other hand all the equipment necessary for creating the paintings on the other hand.
Does your work lead you to travel to meet new collectors, for fairs or exhibitions? If so, what does it bring you?
It is always a real pleasure to show his work and to exchange with the public and other artists. It is artistically and humanly very rewarding. It is also very important to advance the creative process and to stimulate inspiration.
How do you imagine the evolution of your work and your career as an artist in the future?
It's very exciting, my art is constantly evolving, one idea leads to another and the source of inspiration and the desire to create never stops. In short, I wish myself many great exhibitions and great sales in order to continue my work and live peacefully from my passion.
What is the theme, style or technique of your latest artistic production?
The 2020s took place in an economic context marked by an industry that mass-produced consumer goods, the "leftovers" of which very often end up on our shores... After a storm in Corsica, I was struck by the work of the sea which composed, wave after wave, an array of layers of driftwood and various waste. My latest artistic production testifies to this ambivalent experience between despair, anger and wonder...
Can you tell us about your most important exhibition experience?
I have wonderful memories of my last exhibition in 1997 on Reunion Island at the Galerie Art Senik. The public was at the rendezvous, the opening was joyful and festive and gave rise to many beautiful encounters.
I also have very pleasant memories of a solo exhibition held in 2020 in Ajaccio at the Espace Diamant in an idyllic setting facing the sea. The vast and well-equipped exhibition space makes it possible to exhibit large formats and to create a real scenographic work.
If you could have created a famous work in the history of art, which one would you choose? And why ?
Without hesitation "Guernica" by Pablo Picasso. This canvas, being a denunciation of the bombardment of the city of Guernica, shows that art is also a creator of meaningful values in which we recognize ourselves (or not). We can be interested in a work by its technical and aesthetic realization but also for its content.
If you could invite one famous artist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be? How would you suggest he spend the evening?
I think that in all simplicity I will propose a good meal to Vincent Van-Gogh. He was a hyper-sensitive and fascinating man in a rich and exciting time and we could have drunk good wine and discussed the future of art: Carried by the imagination or inspired by nature? Everything had to be done!
Olimpia Gaia Martinelli
