LEILA CARTIER
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA & PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Artist's Statement
[My recent] oil paintings are inspired by decadent novel Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans. In this novel, the main character Des Esseintes has become disillusioned by modern urban life and escapes to the countryside where he carefully designs a unique aesthetic environment. This atmosphere is saturated with rich colors, patterns, and nature, all of which aim to appease his cynical attitude and desensitized palate. His dissatisfaction with the world and the people of his past seem exaggerated and border on hallucinatory. Several images, including the new works on paper, have been based on the vintage prints and engravings by British Horticulturalist Robert Furber and American Illustrator Charles Allan Gilbert. The gardenscapes, bouquets, and portraits that are part of this series are meant to be the distorted visions and memories of Des Esseintes.
Campaign
