BEING AN OCCASIONAL MUSE
project by Clémence Bruno
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH MOMENTS FROM YOUR LIFE TO PAINT?
ARE THERE ANY MOMENTS YOU WOULD NEVER PAINT?
The moments I decide to paint are either ones that really happened, but felt too short, moments I loved and wanted to relive by recreating them in a painting. Or, it can also be moments I fantasize about, things I wish had happened but never did. So there’s this duality between fantasy and reality, fiction and real life, intertwining in my work. The staging of these moments always happens, that’s a constant.
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There’s nothing I refuse to paint, but since I paint my friends, I feel a responsibility to represent them in a way they’re comfortable with. For example, I painted Gabrielle as a Madonna, but she doesn’t believe in God, and she wasn’t happy with it. So I never showed the painting, even though it was requested for exhibitions.
Clémence Bruno
Marseille, France
Solo exhibition
Amitiés Galerie Ars Longa,
Aix-en-Provence, September 2024
IMG credit: Marthe Robin
DOES YOUR WORK EVOLVE WITH YOU,
OR DO YOU PAINT SPECIFIC PHASES OF YOUR LIFE?
My work is constantly evolving. For instance, last year, I started painting Madonnas, which reflects the questions we’re asking ourselves now, at 25, around topics like motherhood. At 20, I wasn’t thinking about that at all, but these things come up as you grow, and the questions you ask yourself shift.
HOW DO YOU EXPERIENCE VULNERABILITY WHEN CREATING SUCH PERSONAL WORK? ARE YOU EVER AFRAID OF REVEALING TOO MUCH?
Yes, I often worry about what my friends think of how I represent them. If they don’t like a painting, I don’t show it. It’s difficult because I’m very emotionally attached to my work. For example, selling pieces that convey some of my very personal stories was incredibly hard for me. It made me question if I could continue doing this as a profession because it was too painful. But at the same time, I realized I can’t keep everything to myself; it would be selfish. If I only painted things that didn’t matter to me, the paintings would feel empty. I’d be painting colorful tiger portraits or something, you know?
HOW DO PEOPLE USUALLY REACT TO YOUR PAINTINGS,
ESPECIALLY ONES THAT ARE EMOTIONALLY CHARGED OR PERSONAL?
Most people just say, "Oh, that’s beautiful," and leave it at that. But my paintings are full of little anecdotes that only my close friends or family know. The painting heals wounds, but I can choose what to share or keep to myself. So in a way, I protect myself.
SO THERE’S THIS DUALITY BETWEEN FANTASY AND REALITY,
FICTION AND REAL LIFE, INTERTWINING IN MY WORK.
THE STAGING OF THESE MOMENTS ALWAYS HAPPENS,
THAT’S A CONSTANT.
WHAT IS THERE A RECURRING EMOTION IN YOUR PAINTINGS?
WHAT'S A DREAM PROJECT YOU HAVEN’T DONE YET?
Yes, inevitably it’s love. My work is about relationships and the bonds we create with the people around us. It’s about rethinking how we live together and appreciating friendships, which I place even higher than romantic relationships. Love and connection are at the center of everything I paint.
There are two major paintings I want to create. One is a massive portrait of all the people I love, like those old family photographs where everyone stood straight and posed. The other is a painting I’ve had in mind for a while. It’s called "What the Contemporary Art World Expects of Us" and would feature my friends, all looking sweet, well-behaved, and hyper-sexy at the same time, representing the pressure of the art world.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US, 2024
Mise en scène, Happy Birthday to us. Juillet 2024.
Among three or four patterned t-shirts—for Clémence to have her pick—I slip my green knockoff Givenchy boots into my bag, the heeled ones I never wear. This’ll be the perfect chance to party without wrecking my feet, without a hint of shame. I can already predict what’s coming: we’ll probably devour a giant cake with frosting, demolish all the tongue-tingling candies, blow out candles, and listen to Gwen Stefani. Word is, she even dropped by Polichinelle to grab us cat ears, polka dot cups, and glittery straws. I hurry to get ready, too excited at the thought of going to this birthday party. Funny thing is, none of the five of us were born on July 23. I think that’s what I love most about it: playing a game. Really getting into it. And in this kind of pretend reality, strangely, I feel better. It’s almost better than a real birthday.
Gabrielle Alexandre
LA FÊTE N'EST PAS FINIE
The sparkling silence that bubbles endlessly when a scene comes together in a living room, a bathroom, or a new bed. Clem rings at the apartment this morning, straight out of bed, to snap a photo at the end of my breakfast, which I hum along with her before she leaves. You should never really look at the camera, but I always relish secretly watching Clem’s eyes brimming with joy, in that rush of friends thrilled to be in sync. I love being an occasional muse, always forgetting the paint, still amazed by everything.
Marie Perraud
SORTIR AVEC DES GARCONS???
I’m thinking about the coming winter and the times we spent in the studio last year. With our hot water bottles and the skin glue that would gel in no time. In spring, we were so happy about the new warmth that we painted our “self-portraits.” Clémence painted me with my brushes, and I painted her in the fresh green just outside the studio. Whenever anyone asked, she’d always say she was painting her “self-portrait” with, at the tip of her brush, a portrait of me.
Severina Ianakieva
FIN