The Memory of Gesture

Dominic Lefrancois (LEF), îles de la Madeleine.

In painting, I am equally driven by portraiture and abstract art, music, my travels around the world, the encounters I make along the way, and my insular reality are all essential sources of inspiration that come together to inform my artistic research. I am also influenced by what I read, by photographs, and by moments when I improvise as a photographer myself.

My practice focuses primarily on the interaction of colors and the intensity of the impressions they create. Whether applied with restraint or boldness, the sometimes fluorescent marks present in my work generate a strong sense of movement and bring modernity and vitality to the canvas. The material itself is worked with a palette knife to create relief and give character to the subject. I paint instinctively and through improvisation, embracing risk and continually renewing my practice by setting new challenges that push me beyond my comfort zone and force me to question my way of painting.