Test June 20 2014

instantly transported back to la Rue Auguste Comte, an iconic, gallery-ridden street in the heart of Lyon, France where many a night could be spent attending similar openings and consequently developing a profound appreciation for all that is art. 

The intimate gallery, set in a quiet, residential area of Chelsea, had been engulfed by a sea of Francophones that spilled out through the door and onto the streets. The hum of guests engaged in riveting discussions about the array of Impressionistic landscapes, mixed media Pop Art pieces and Abstract portraits displayed as part of the French Contemporary Masters exhibition 2014 filled the neighbourhood with joviality and dynamism. 

 

 Artist: Philippe Pradalié  

Title: Mas Rouge

Material: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 97cm x 130cm

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This exhibition, however, was no ordinary art exhibition. The French Contemporary Masters show is the first of its kind, owing its patronage to none other than the French Ambassador to the United Kingdom, M. Bernard Emié, whom we had the pleasure of meeting that evening. The goal of the exhibition is to promote French cultural identity and disseminate contemporary French art on an international scale, and where better to start than London?

The gallery and Embassy, together, did an excellent job of curating the exhibition, displaying an array of young, up-and-coming artists such as Olivier Camen, Eric Pradalié and Topolino (a nickname that we learnt means ‘Mickey Mouse’ in Italian!) with well-established artists Jean le Gac and Philippe Pradalié, a personal favourite.

 Artist: Philippe Pradalié                                        

Title: Calipso passes in front of the Pic St Lou        

Material: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 65cm x 100cm

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