Today we’d like to introduce you to Sylvain Latendresse
Hi Sylvain, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As a kid, my teachers were often commenting to my parents that I wasn’t paying enough attention in class, and I was too much “dans la lune” which literally translates to “in the moon” or a dreamer. I guess our personalities are set pretty early! For me, at a very young age, art appeared as a natural way of being. It came rapidly to my mind that art was my life. I followed the academic path going from high school to college, to university where I studied fine arts and did a master’s degree in art history about the German artist Joseph Beuys.
I come from a small town close to Quebec City called Levis. I felt that as an artist, I needed to go to a bigger city. Montreal was waiting for me. Over the years, Montreal became my home where I met and collaborated with many other artists. During that time, I became part of a rich and thriving community. I was alternately an artist, a writer, and a curator. I later became president of the art collective, Action Art Actuel and organized exhibitions and even an artist’s exchange program with Mexico, which was very successful.
I have always been interested in meeting other people, other cultures. Something that was different from my own life. Through the years, I traveled looking for an opportunity to find a new art scene to explore and flourish as an artist. I visited Berlin, Paris, Rome, Mexico City. I finally landed in Los Angeles in 2008. It wasn’t exactly the right moment to be in L.A. The economy was very bad, and the city was hit by the screenwriters’ strike. I took a very long break from the art world. People say that L.A. is the place to reinvent yourself. I did it by breaking a 10-year moratorium with a new artistic reinvention, returning to my roots… painting.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The artistic path is anything, but a straight line. 2023 was my official return to the art scene, and I gave myself the ambitious goal to getting into the international art scene in the next 5 years. Coming from abroad, even from Canada, you must prove yourself even if you are making art for 40 years. In between, Los Angeles became with time the place you need to be as an artist. That means that there are a lot of artists here in L.A. fighting for a place in the sun. Nothing is guaranteed. I must promote my work, find an art gallery, ensure your presence on the local scene, before thinking national or international.
The most difficult part as an artist is to find your own voice. It takes time and you really need to commit to your artwork. At the same time, you must go out of your comfort zone, and network with gallerists, curators, artists, writers, art collectors, etc.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
During the pandemic I found myself returning after nearly two decades to my first love: painting. I wanted to come back to my core, the world of colors, a language that can be understood by all, if such a thing exists. Throughout the shutdown, I became increasingly drawn to nature — escaping into the stillness, the lyricism, the timelessness…where one can only be present. I fell in love with Paso Robles, mesmerized by the light and ancient gnarled oaks twisting among the grapevines. Walking among the oaks during golden hour, I experienced a shift of perception, a kind of internal enlightenment which gave me the desire to capture the ephemeral in nature – a huge departure for me. In the past, I tended towards contemporary abstract painting.
The constraint of a small studio space made me rediscover the medium of acrylic paint. To the medium, I added a challenge: using only the palette knife, without brushes. The tool adds a tactile dimension to the painting. I don’t believe in inspiration, but only about humble daily work. You establish a dialogue with the canvas, and it is really a conversation. At times I fight with the process, not happy with where the painting is going until I realize that I need to listen.
As I meditated on how to capture the elusive, I devoted my attention to the techniques of the 19th and 20th-Century Masters, from Van Gogh to David Hockney…mostly Hockney who I admire for his exceptional mastery of his art and his knowledge of art history.
What am I proud of? The reception of my new artwork. I was taking a risk by returning to a more traditional method of creation, and people are expressing extremely positive opinions.
Peter Frank, an important critic and curator from Los Angeles, finds my artwork on the edge of impressionism, fauvism, expressionism and in a recent essay refers to it as “post-neo-impressionism.” While the inspiration is there, especially with the old master techniques, I don’t think it fits neatly into any school or label– but I do enjoy the challenge of testing and exploring fresh interpretations of nature through its perception.
What were you like growing up?
If I had to use a word to describe my personality at that period, it would be “intense”. I was extremely curious about everything in college, literature, theatre, art, philosophy, etc. My thirst didn’t have any end. My world was built around creation, and still is. I could have become an actor or a writer. I was cast as the lead in an Agatha Christie’s play “And Then They Were None”, directed by Robert Lepage (who later went on to become a world-renown director and the first North American to direct a play for the Royal Shakespeare company). The play was a cross between Agatha Christie and Mel Brooks. It was very funny, and we had immense success. Several of my friends went on to study acting in university, but I was more attracted to visual art. I will always be grateful to all my teachers from Cegep Levis-Lauzon who were very supportive and nourished my artistic aspirations. It was a defining phase that shaped my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sylvainlatendressepaintings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l.a.tendresse1
- Twitter: https://bsky.app/profile/sylvainla.bsky.social
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX-hCxszvh08QwMYkIwGXpSvktc-iEdJM
- Other: https://cara.app/sylvain31
