Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2017
Oil on canvas
48" x 60" x 3.5" (121 x 152 x 9 cm)

About This Artwork
Using the song Stairway to Heaven as both a metaphor and vehicle for inspiration, I wanted to draw a parallel through this artwork between the emotional side of art of inestimable value, and the mercantile value of the painting as an object; of the ambivalence between creating freely and living by his passion without being suffocated by the shackles of materialism, all while dealing with the constant pressure of trying to make a living as an artist [from any discipline].

Inspiration
Song of Led Zeppelin with controversial origins, Stairway to Heaven is often referred as one of the greatest rock songs of all time. The sound of Stairway to Heaven translates as a spiritual quest, both mystical and mysterious, that conflicts with the attributed meaning of words, that of a woman who finds happiness by material goods, thus attempting to buy his place in Paradise.

The soothing, almost spiritual aspect of the artwork ‘Makes Me Wonder’ (a frequently repeated expression in the verses), in shades of gold, silver and bronze on a white background, and its composition established as a staircase (also bearing some resemblance to a growth curve of a stock market index) illustrates the ambivalence between spirituality and wealth.

Controversy
Written over a long period of time, its composition would have started in 1970 in Bron-Yr-Aur in Wales, where Jimmy Page would have assembled the first part of this song from sound samples from a cassette tape recorder which he always dragged with him. Robert Plant was later reported to have suddenly slew the first words on paper by automatic writing while Page played the chords: "There's a lady is sure, all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to heaven”, justifying the meaning of this couplet as "something cynical about a woman who had all she wanted all the time without thinking. The first line starts with this cynical sweep of the hand... and it calmed down after that. "

However, these lyrics accurately reflect his readings of the moment, the books of a British antiquarian by the name of Lewis Spence... To the point that he eventually resolved to credit a book by the author, Magic Arts in Celtic Britain, as one of the sources of the song. But the real controversy stems from a blatant resemblance to Taurus, an instrumental composition written two years earlier by Randy California of the band Spirit... an embarrassing resemblance, to the point that Spirit's bassist, Mark Andes, will have finally formulated forty-five years later late a copyright complaint against Led Zeppelin, who played with Spirit in the first part of the North American Tour of 1968-1969...

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2017
Walnut oil and linseed oil on canvas
48" x 60" x 3.5" (122 x 152 x 9 cm)

 
The inspiration for this painting comes from the iconic song ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana, whose album Nevermind engendered the grunge movement of the 90s by his lyrics that express an existential malaise, reflecting the breakup of the family unit and the difficulty of North American adolescents to consider their future.

This album sounds like a cry from the heart, that of a disemboweled youth, tortured—Kurt Cobain’s—from which it emerges a feeling of instinctive urgency that strikes a nerve and to the bottom of the guts, to the point where we confuse this pain with ours ... It's hardly surprising that the youth of that time identified it so easily!

But contrary to popular belief and Charles Cross's insinuating biography of fiction 'Heavier Than Heaven', the lyrics of Smells Like Teen Spirit are in fact seemingly meaningless: in his interviews during the 1990s, Kurt Cobain kept changing and exaggerating the story by trying to explain its meaning.

Indeed, drummer Dave Grohl reportedly said he did not believe the song had any message whatsoever: "To see Kurt write the lyrics of a song five minutes before singing them, you'll find it a bit difficult to believe that the song has a lot to say about something. You need syllables to complete this space or you need something that rhymes."

Inspired by heavy metal, independent rock and hardcore punk, grunge is characterized by heavily saturated guitars and variable time signatures, and apathetic lyrics that address the anxieties of adolescence. Compared to other forms of rock music, the grunge aesthetic is more refined; many grunge musicians have been noticed for their dirty look and the rejection of theatricality, hence the origin of the stylistic name—the word "grunge" literally meaning… crass!

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2017
Oil on linen
8" x 10" x 2" (20 x 25 x 5 cm)

Smaller version of the artwork Makes Me Wonder. Both works were made simultaneously as part of my 2017 solo exhibition Abstractions Musicales.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2017
Walnut oil and linseed oil on canvas
60" x 48" x 2.5" (152 x 122 x 7.5 cm)

From the song bearing the same name by the band Steppenwolf.

Additional photos and details

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2016
Walnut oil and linseed oil on canvas
48" x 60" x 2.5" (122 x 152 x 6.5 cm)

The title of this piece was chosen in reference to a song bearing the same name by one of my favourite new wave bands, the Talking Heads.

Upon listening to it time and again over the last months (and while making this piece), I kept thinking about the lyrics in how they seemed to resonate with me in a certain way, as if they talked about the challenges and hurdles of being a full-time artist, the insane amount of pressure felt trying to live from our art, of “burning down” a decent career to avoid “bursting into flames”, “listening to ourselves” and “jumping overboard” in a leap of faith to follow our dreams in the hope that we “might get what we’re after…”

Unbeknownst to me at that time, the band’s lead-singer and guitarist David Byrne had once declared in an interview that the lyrics as were in fact completely meaningless, written by first throwing and making nonsense syllables over the music only to fit with the rhythm and the phrasing. In that perspective, one could qualify the text of the song as a form of abstraction, since without direct meaning or representational of any reality!

And so, a parallel can be drawn between both the song and this piece: with the propensity of the mind to fill in the blanks when confronted to abstract art, each and everyone “sees” something slightly different, interpreting the piece by drawing from their own personal experience as an attempt to find a sort of familiar ground to relate and base itself into.

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Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2017
Walnut oil and linseed oil on linen
24" x 36" x 1.5"

A piece about light, passing and rebirth, the endless cycle of life.

Similar in tones and luminosity, this piece bears a reminiscence with religious-themed paintings of the Italian renaissance period, and to planetary nebulæ and supernova remnants, stars reaching the end of their life with an interstellar explosion of fire and light.

To my mother Jacqueline St-Jean, 1947-2017.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2016
Walnut oil and linseed oil on canvas
48" x 72" x 2.5" (122 x 183 x 6.5 cm)

From a summer trip at the Sandbanks provincial park beach in Ontario. A highly textured abstract impressionistic piece with vertical linear-based sculptural patterns.

Painting Technique
The piece's unique texture is made with a palette knife, by tearing up thick layers of oil paint in a vertical pattern similar to series of small vertical slats to create a lenticular screen effect which focuses all reflected light to the front of the artwork and towards the viewer; this increases the painting's brightness and glow while giving it an inviting tactile quality that appeals to all senses.

This lenticular effect also makes the artwork change its aspect when viewed from different points and angles, as it presents a richer and more colourful version of itself when viewed from the left side with its overall appearance gradually turning into a lighter white-dominated composition as one moves further to the right.

Additional photos and details

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2016
Walnut oil on linen
8" x 10" x 1.5"  (20 x 25 x 4 cm)

Additional photos and artwork details 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2017
Walnut oil on linen canvas
8" x 10" x 2" (20 x 25 x 5 cm)

First piece of a new series, inspired by a vacation to Saint-Martin.

Each work represents a different location of this paradisiac island: Dawn Beach, Fort Louis, Great Bay, Islet Pinel, Marigot and Pic Paradis.

View the « Saint-Martin » series

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2016
Walnut oil on linen
34" x 48" x 2.5"  (86 x 122 x 6.5 cm)
 

Loosely translating to "I long to view the sea”, the title of this piece was chosen in reference to a french song by Quebec artist Michel Rivard: in his song, Rivard recalls and describes vividly the sea calling to him, of his heartfelt longing for an overdue summer vacation, wishing to escape the dark grey city full of livid people, of nostalgia and desire to flee again to the sea and the warm sun.

From this perspective, I attempted to recreate an abstracted impressionistic representation of this longing by recreating within the texture the patterns of key elements typically found on beaches such as various seashells, shellfish and sea urchins, the rhythmic waves of the sea crashing on the beach, the wavy stripes of the white sand formed by the wind under the sun, and incorporating all these elements as one unified composition.

Additional photos and details 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2016
Walnut oil on linen
34" x 48" x 2.5"  (86 x 122 x 6.5 cm)

This painting speaks of a conflict, a confrontation between two opposites. A profound confrontation between passion and coldness, a jostling of inner emotions between the didactic framework and that of the impulse of the moment, attempting to find equilibrium with this inner fire burns so intensely that it would not be silenced for long.

Additional photos and artwork details 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2016
Oil on canvas
36" x 96" x 3.5" (91 x 244 x 9 cm)

The artwork Taïga aims to capture the imagination of the Northern wilderness, the mythical seventeenth century boreal forest where venturing Metis and trappers sourced their pelts, and offering an overabundance of wildlife whose furs were prized by French settlers. Beavers and bears, raccoons and hares, all were bartered with Amerindians for the joy of fashionable Europeans.

As I kept hearing of news about Montreal’s upcoming 375th anniversary of its foundation, this brought childhood memories of my father, proudly showing me from his rare books collection the original travels of Jacques Cartier, Samuel de Champlain and Pierre-Esprit Radisson.

Upon reading passages of their adventures in which they described in their own words the accounts of their explorations, I kept imagining our founders and pioneers navigating the St. Lawrence River for the first time: setting foot on a strange foreign land, discovering and exploring these immense untouched forests, teeming with wild animals, extending endlessly all the way up to the North; a century later, explorers, fur traders and coureurs des bois like Radisson, canoeing along the fur trade route from Tadoussac along the Saguenay River and up to the Hudson Bay.

And so, I sought to recreate with this piece the sheer density of the forest by merging together multiple representations of the mythical boreal forest that would change according to the viewing angles and relative distance. By making abstraction of any clearly defined form, this immersive artwork aims to appeal directly to the observer’s own personal experience and desire to explore this lush nature, allowing the imagination to fill in the blanks and fully grasp the general impact conveyed by the piece as a whole.

When directly observed from its sides, the prominent heavy texture takes the appearance of bark and massive tree trunks where mushrooms, mosses and lichens grow symbiotically; when seen from a certain distance, the composition morphs into a coniferous evergreen carpeting, acting like a large window leading onto the Taïga.

Additional photos and artwork details

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2016
Oil on canvas
30" x 40" x 2.5" (76 x 102 x 6.5 cm)

A luminous artwork similar to Rhapsody in Blue, but with a heavier, more prominent texture carved onto the canvas. 

I made this piece out of an impulse, sculpting, carving and cutting through heavy chunks of translucent oil paint with a painting knife in powerful determined strokes to build up the relief. With some features protruding over an inch thick above the canvas, this allowed for a subtle composition where the finer, paler glowing areas would alternate with heftier peaks of darker tinted paint. 

An attempt to evoke in an impressionistic manner the lavish and grandiose nature of the immensity of the sky, the luminous flickering of the stars in the depth of the night, these shimmers of light reflecting off the angular peaks give the illusion of stars that seem to appear on different planes, with the peaks' shadows enhancing the illusion of depth almost as if the painting had been carved through the canvas and into the wall itself.

As the viewer moves around the room, those sparkling light reflections gradually increases in brightness, then fade slowly to disappear alternately as the stars in the night sky, allowing him to discern more and more intricate details and inviting the viewer to trace constellations' imaginary lines by following the shades of blue' subtle variations.

The piece's unique texture is done using a palette knife by tearing up thick layers of oil paint in a vertical pattern similar to vertical slats; this creates a lenticular screen effect that focuses light to the front of the artwork and towards the viewer, increasing the piece's brightness and creating its unusual glow, as if the piece was being lit from behind. Made using only pure oil paint and without the aid of any additional gels or other mediums, there isn't any black either: while the prominent texture may appear darker, I used only translucent tones of blues to allow ambient light to enter through the paint and reflect back on the canvas.

Additional photos 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2016
Walnut oil on linen
30" x 40" x 2" (76 x 102 x 5 cm)

"Winter is coming…" A fitting title for this artwork.

Originally inspired by monumental glaciers, this piece became fortuitously reminiscent of a certain prominent wall from the highly popular tv series Game Of Thrones …of which I may have binge-watched a month before making this painting…

Definitely a pure, fortuitous coïncidence…

Additional photos and artwork details

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2016
Walnut oil on linen
30" x 40" x 2" (76 x 102 x 5 cm)

Additional photos

From La Mer, by Charles Trenet.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2015
Walnut oil on canvas
12" x 12" x 2" (30 x 30 x 5 cm)

A cool and refreshing summer piece, meant as a colourful nod to the frozen pop treats of our childhood…

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2015
Walnut oil on linen
34" x 48" x 3"  (86 x 122 x 7.5 cm) 

Additional photos 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2015
Oil on canvas
30" x 36" x 2"  (76 x 91 x 5 cm)

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2015
Oil on canvas
36" x 18" x 1" (92 x 46 x 2.5 cm)

Smaller version of the artwork Cenote. Through this piece, I wanted to pay tribute to the greatness of the tropical forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, where one can only remain silent about the striking beauty; to the richness and the high density of lush tropical vegetation; the immensity of centuries-old trees that populate these almost untouched forests and their sacred cenotes, spectacular open caves with their endless vines and whose numerous stalactites form together a majestic natural cathedral.

These sources of inspiration led me to create an organic artwork of great depth: by working the oil paint as a sculpture to combine and merge the different elements of the theme, I tried to push au beyond the figurative by making abstraction of any defined form to focus instead on the general impression and emotions transmitted by the work as a whole, thus appealing to the past experience of the observer and his own desire to travel and explore this lush nature.

The effect of perspective in the artwork brings a dual representation of the theme that varies depending on the viewing angle: when looking at the work from a lower angle, the perspective effect provides a three dimensional representation of the abyss as seen from within it, where the numerous dangling vines in the foreground cover and merge with the drapery stalactites in the background, giving the illusion of a curtain of vegetation floating above the water table in the shades, seeing it further back as being located at the bottom of the cenote.

When the painting is directly observed from the front or sideways, the particular texture of the darkest part at the bottom of the work is reminiscing of the bark of massive tree trunks which grow mosses and lichens symbiotically; the white vertical striped lines and juxtaposed in matching tones are storming down along the canvas in the form of a small waterfall bathed in sunshine, where one can easily imagine hearing the sound of water crashing gently among those of nature piercing the typical humid atmosphere of tropical forests.

Additional photos

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2015
Linseed oil and Walnut oil on canvas
48" x 60" x 2.75" (122 x 152 x 7 cm)
 

This artwork was inspired by the oceans, by the breaking waves that take shape in all their might and height, ready to hit the ships and attempt to bring them to the bottom of a too rough sea that keeps on rocking as a pledge of its power and strength.

Upon seeing this immersive piece for the first time, many will fall prey to losing their balance in anticipation of a transverse wave suddenly glimpsed from the corner of their eye… an illusion of self-motion caused by the sheer size of the painting and its numerous heavily textured curves recreating the movement of the sea, where all the blue, ultramarine, turquoise and white accents each account the many facets of the ocean.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2015
Walnut oil on canvas
22" x 28" x 1"  (56 x 71 x 2.5 cm)
 

Titled 'Over and Over', this painting takes its name from a song of the British band Hot Chip, which was heard during their visit to the Music & Arts Festival Osheaga 2015.

Through attending their performance, I realized how the electronic rhythm and lyrics of that specific song represented particularly well the electrified atmosphere, with the incessant whirl of people in highly stylized colourful apparels hopping from scene to scene, massed in crowds before each one; the balloons, shark(!?) and other inflatable toys bouncing to the rhythm of the music over the cheering crowd; the heat and repeated waves of relaxing grass fumes filling the atmosphere of its many virtues…

The idea of using arcs for the composition, as a concept of representing sound waves, and a colourful summer palette as an attempt to summarize on canvas this insane musical day worthy of the legendary Woodstock and other festivals of its kind.

Artwork photos and details 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2015
Walnut oil on canvas
28" x 20" x 1"  (71 x 51 x 2.5 cm)
 

This heavily textured oil painting was made using seven different shades of black, creating spectacular multi-coloured flashes and reflections on its surface, recreating the effect of endless numerous shimmering waves of the sea under a strong blinding sun. 

Additional photos and details 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2015
Oil on linen
36" x 48" x 2" (92 x 122 x 5 cm)

The name of this impressive piece of resistance was chosen as a nod to my former career, having worked for a few years as Maitre D' in a steakhouse.

While the tones of red found at the center of this artwork are indeed more representative of a Pittsburgh steak* than a medium-rare cooking, the title was nonetheless chosen accordingly as it presented a more striking imagery.

(*) A Pittsburgh rare steak is a steak seared quickly to a very high temperature, making it charred on the outside but still rare, or raw on the inside. It is also known as a Black and Bleu.

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Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2015
Oil on wood panel
36" x 60" x 2" (92 x 152 x 5 cm)

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2015
Walnut oil on canvas
40 x 30 x 2 in (102 x 76 x 5 cm)

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2014
Oil on canvas
36" x 48" x 2.75" (92 x 122 x 7 cm)

This artwork was made as a rhapsody: a free composition in one extended movement, in an effusively enthusiastic or ecstatic expression of feeling.

With its provoking and exuberant character, this artwork challenges the observer in an emotional reaction of magnificence; the inherent luminance of the piece occupying the entire room in which it is displayed, with its presence attracting or stealing all attention in a seductive fashion.

First produced in 1924 during the An Experiment In Modern Music concert by Paul Whiteman to ‘demonstrate that jazz deserved to be regarded as a serious and sophisticated art form’, Rhapsody in Blue established George Gershwin's reputation as a serious composer and has become one of the most important American musical works of the 20th century.

Additional photos

* This piece was selected by a resounding majority of votes as the People's Choice Award during the 5th Canadian "Brush Off" Juried Painting Competition held on September 18th, 2015 at Galerie Avenue Art.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2014
Linseed oil on canvas
Diptych, 72" x 32" x 2.75"  (183 x 81 x 7 cm)
 

Inspired by a rappelling inside a cenote in the Yucatan Peninsula, this work honors the greatness of these sinkholes overgrown by vines, typical geological features of this region of Mexico and main source of drinking water.

Strong of the offerings made to the god of rain Chaac, these sacred wells were considered by the Maya as the origin of life and a link to the cave-world; one can feel the greatness and power of this lofty diptych, as if hiding a mysterious passage where upon crossing these doors one would find itself standing among the lush vegetation of Yucatan.

Additional photos and details 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2014
Oil on wood panel
16" x 20" x 1"  (41 x 51 x 2.5 cm)

From the name of a small town on the east coast of Sicily in Italy, where no-limits free diving competitions have been immortalized in the French film The Big Blue (Le Grand Bleu) by Luc Besson.

This painting attempts to represent the darkness of the depths the protagonist Jacques Mayol finds himself staring into during his last descent to 400ft, as portrayed near the end of the movie.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2014
Walnut oil on canvas
24 x 36 x 2 in  (61 x 92 x 5 cm)

Produced on Remembrance Day, November 11th, 2014.

This artwork retells of the Pointe du Hoc in Normandy, where numerous shell holes still mark the ground today. One can glimpse flashes of light coming from the repeated bombing, piercing the thick white smoke and the heart of the night while the sea waves batter the foot of a cliff strewn with obstacles.

The Pointe du Hoc is a headland on the Normandy coastline between Utah Beach and Omaha Beach, two of the five beaches of the Normandy Landings. Overlooking the English Channel from its vertical cliff, the assault of this headland was considered paramount to the success of the invasion as the range of heavy artillery set up by German troops covered these two beaches.

Additional photos 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2014
Walnut oil on canvas
Diptych, 12" x 24" x 2"  (30 x 60 x 5 cm)
 

Using the diptych format for the composition of this work brings great depth by accentuating the effect of a panoramic vision as seen through the mask of a diver.

An underwater exploration where one lets himself get gently carried away by sea currents, snorkelling between the rugged rock walls, seeing in the distance the light of day though the waves on the surface.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2014
Walnut oil on canvas
36" x 48" x 2.5"  (92 x 122 x 6.35 cm)
 

The bright colors of coral reefs mark this artwork, painting of aquatic life. The observer is pulled into this underwater world where the fragility of the marine ecosystem’s flora and fauna has equal only its beauty.

Artwork photos and details 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2014
Walnut oil on wood panel
36" x 60" x 1.5"  (92 x 152 x 4 cm)
 

From a trip to the city of Trinidad, Cuba, or how to translate the full richness of flora and architecture of this country.

The name Canchanchara comes from a local drink of this town made with rum, honey and citrus.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2014
Walnut oil on canvas
30" x 40" x 2"  (76 x 102 x 5 cm)
 

The title of this painting was chosen in reference to naval officer Jacques Cousteau's oceanographic vessel, underwater exploration pioneer whom through its documentaries made us discover the wonders of the sea.

This painting represents through its composition the seabed from the depths and its shoals of fish moving in unison.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2013
Walnut oil on canvas
12 x 16 x 1 in  (39 x 41 x 2.5 cm)
 

While viewing a negative photograph of the artwork Ocean, inspiration for this painting gushed like fireworks: a vibrant colour burst against a background of bright dazzling whiteness. 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2013
Oil on canvas
18" x 36" x 1"  (46 x 92 x 2.5 cm)
 

Of a dizzying hypnotic depth, the contrasting lighter and darker tones move along the painting to follow the observer’s viewing angle, shimmering like the feathers of a peacock, hence its name. 

[Sea Urchins]  
Louis-Bernard St-Jean  
2013
Walnut oil on canvas
30 x 40 x 2 in  (76 x 102 x 5 cm) 
 

The thematic of this painting represents submarine life as viewed from a diver looking from above: the color of red sea urchins standing out from the dense aquatic fauna that thrive on the surroundings of an hydrothermal vent.

The page Creating an artwork describes in detail the creative process and conception behind this piece of art.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2013
Walnut oil on canvas
16 x 20 x 1 in  (41 x 51 x 2.5 cm) 
 

A parliament of owls perched on tree: the composition and playful colours of this painting reminds of the little stuffed patchwork owls toys. 

[Stravinsky's The Firebird]
Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2014
Walnut oil paint on canvas
30 x 24 x 1 in  (76 x 61 x 2.5 cm)
 

For the young Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, the ballet The Firebird (1910) became an instant major success and a pivotal point in his career, highly acclaimed by both critics and public.

In Russian folklore, the Firebird often represents the coveted object of a difficult quest. A parallel can be made with the emerging artist and his personal quest towards becoming renowned and successful, the Firebird pecking at the golden fruit represents both the quest and its prize, arising from a potential breakthrough on the brink of success.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2013
Walnut oil on canvas
Diptych, 20" x 32" x 1"  (51 x 82 x 2.5 cm)

A bird’s eye view representation of Western Canada‘s bituminous sand mining landscapes. This artwork attempts to evoke the paradox found in the stunning beauty of these desolate open-pit mines and the full extent of the land’s devastation at the expense of boreal forests.

Through its thick curvy lines, the diptych’s halves represent the conflict between the emotional and the rational: from the idea of a necessary destruction paving the way towards further profitability and advancement to the importance of finding a balance between both to accomplish.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2013
Walnut oil on canvas
22" x 30" x 1"  (56 x 76 x 2.5 cm)

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2013
Walnut oil on canvas
24" x 36" x 1"  (61 x 92 x 2.5 cm) 
 

In overview, the incessant movement of the metropolis and maddening urban bustle of a city that never sleeps as the dizzying swarm of passersby and cars whizz among skyscrapers made of stone, metal and glass. 

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2013
Walnut oil on canvas
20" x 30" x 1"  (51 x 76 x 2.5 cm)
 

The festive character of the sugarhouse is embedded across the canvas where following a seemingly endless winter life is gradually reborn as the sap rising produces this blond gold called maple syrup.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2012
Oil on canvas
14" x 18" x 2"  (46 x 36 x 5 cm)

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2011
Oil on canvas
60" x 40" x 2"  (152 x 102 x 5 cm)

Inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, Monolithe shows an interpretation of the range of emotions felt at the sight of this mysterious object, as described in the famous work of Stanley Kubrick.

While its surface remind of the Moon's surface, we feel by the dramatic red lines the intensity and latent threat of the irreparable acts that the onboard artificial intelligence HAL 9000 will commit against its crew.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2011
Oil on wood panel
36" x 48" x 2"  (92 x 122 x 5 cm)
 

This work represents a top view of a cliff or rock showing the different sedimentary layers; the mineral aspect is here reproduced by the interplay of multiple strokes carved in incongruous angles.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2011
Oil on wood panel
36" x 48" x 2"  (92 x 122 x 5 cm)
 

This artwork represents the same subject in two perspectives, both perfectly integrated into one another: one from a close up scene and the second from up above; this unique composition brings a whole new dimension to the painting.

Its unique glass-like texture represents the ocean waves crashing at the surface, as seen from above; its composition evokes the effect of being fully immersed in the depths by showing the marine flora as seen by a scuba diver.

Louis-Bernard St-Jean
2011
Oil on wood panel
18" x 24" x 1"  (46 x 61 x 2.5 cm)

My very first oil painting.