JM BARROIS

An "artist" from a very young age, Jean Michel Barrois studied for 9 years at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Laon, before abandoning his brushes for over 45 years! Preoccupied by extensive studies and a busy professional career, he unfortunately could not continue to indulge in his childhood "dreams". However, for several years now, he has dedicated himself 100% to his passion, painting almost every day. 

Influenced by the lyrical abstraction of the 1950s, Jean Michel Barrois belongs to no trend, movement, or school : "I claim nothing and am free from any system; I like to paint, that's all." 

He works primarily with acrylic, sometimes with oil, and on various supports (linen, cotton, aluminum, glass) placed directly on the floor, using a selection of tools, most of which he makes himself. This allows him to create gestures, textures, and tones that compose his technique based on the retranscription of speed, spontaneity of gesture, and the emotion of the moment. It is this almost vital need for creativity that allows him to maintain this sensibility, thus rhythmically shaping his work. 

"I start with the canvas size; this space at my disposal, I must dominate it, master it so that it tells something. I paint without calculation, without a preconceived concept, i.e., without a fixed idea that I absolutely must accomplish; I have no strategy to achieve it, I simply express myself. I can rework my piece several times because the most difficult part is knowing when to stop on the canvas; one stroke too many and the canvas falls apart, one stroke too few, it remains unfinished ; at some point, I feel that the story is finished, it's a matter of sensibility; but in fact, everything remains unfinished and that's good because, as the popular saying goes: 'When you finish something, you kill it' and I want my painting to remain alive! "