Claire Tabouret, the painter beloved of great collectors
About Claire Tabouret's exhibitions to be seen this summer at the Château La Coste in La-Puy-Saint-Réparade (13), at the Ideal Palace of Facteur Cheval in Hauterives (26) and at the Giudecca women's prison in Venice ( Italy).
Did you need a good reason to finally take the “Ideal Palace of the Postman Horse” exit heading south this summer? Here it is: the gifted Claire Tabouret pays homage to the wife and patron of the famous postman, with a fountain and a tapestry. At the same time as at Château La Coste she shows vases made in Sèvres. So we go for it.
Being spotted by François Pinault when you are a painter who has just graduated from the Beaux-Arts in Paris, obviously changes the situation on the contemporary art market. Being represented by the most prestigious art galleries and selling your works of art immediately becomes simpler… and more profitable. The figurative expressionist works of art by Claire Tabouret which were shown at the Isabelle Gounod art gallery in 2013 indeed caught the eye of the wealthy French businessman who rains and shines as a patron and collector of contemporary art: the lucky young woman, and no less talented, has thus become a French contemporary artist who counts. I'm delighted for her, because I too love what she does... and I would never have had the means to buy one of her paintings! His acrylic on canvas from 2016 entitled The Last Day came close to a million dollars, becoming the sales record at Christie’s in 2021…
Often inspired by classical painting as she has observed the works of Géricault, Courbet or Rembrandt, Claire Tabouret however prefers Orsay to the Louvre, appreciating Vuillard and Bonnard, and Morandi as well, for his landscapes after Cézanne. Without forgetting Mary Cassatt, whose Maternity programs she has looked at with a new eye since becoming a mother. She also cites Marlene Dumas, Henry Taylor, Mamma Andersson and Lisa Brice, while Elisabeth Couturier, journalist for Connaissance des arts, finds affinities in her with Peter Doig.
Not limiting herself to painting even if it is almost her "natural element", Claire Tabouret explores the themes of identity, memory and presence also through installations, sculptures and performances. Born in 1981 in Pertuis, in Vaucluse, she quickly emerged as one of the most promising young artists of her generation upon leaving the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, with exhibitions in galleries renowned in Paris, New York and London. Either way, it was a vocation for her. “I was 4 years old when my parents took me to see Monet's Les Nymphéas at the Jeu de Paume museum,” she tells Elisabeth Couturier, the journalist from Connaissance des arts, devoting a beautiful portrait to her in the magazine of the month of June 2024. “I felt a real shock and found myself immersed in painting. I wanted to roll around in it. So, I spent my childhood drawing and painting, even before understanding what the life of an artist is and knowing the codes of the art world. » Good luck to him. “Later, when I was at the Beaux-Arts in Paris, I wasn’t interested in knowing whether painting was dead or not. I told myself, obviously, no, but I'm not going to waste energy trying to convince anyone. I continued on my way. » His work convinced in his place.
Claire Tabouret's style is characterized by a unique aesthetic and a keen eye for detail. His portraits are often realistic yet ethereal, with distorted or blurred faces, creating a mysterious and haunting atmosphere. His colors are often bright and saturated, creating dramatic tension in his works. In addition to her painting practice, she also explores other forms of artistic expression, such as sculpture and installation. His sculptures are often made with raw and simple materials, creating an interesting contrast with his more detailed and figurative pictorial works. She likes to experiment with new media and new techniques, and she does not hesitate to push the limits of her art to better express her creativity and sensitivity. It is to “avoid comfort and take on a new challenge” that she has moved to Los Angeles since 2015, where she works relentlessly “in a huge hangar adjoining the workshop of her designer companion” , explains the journalist from Connaissance des arts. Who wonders if his fascinating portraits of young women with sad eyes and lipstick that smudges to the point of blocking their mouths would not denounce an imposed silence. “The images arrive first, I understand them then,” explains the artist. I try to create compositions crossed by tension. And indeed, I note that this can sometimes result in a certain ambiguity. »
Because even if Claire Tabouret's work is deeply anchored in the tradition of figurative painting, she brings to it an unparalleled touch of modernity and contemporaneity. His artwork is characterized by a soft, pastel color palette, simplified shapes, and rich, vibrant textures. His portraits are often reminiscent of those of the old masters, but they are also imbued with a modern sensitivity and contemporary reflection on the notions of gender, identity and representation.
One of the most striking characteristics of Claire Tabouret's work is her ability to capture the very essence of her subjects. His portraits speak of the fragility and beauty of existence. They invite us to question our own humanity, our emotions and our relationship to the world around us. But beyond their philosophical dimension, Claire Tabouret's works also enchant with their elegance and poetry. His unique style, halfway between realism and abstraction, creates a tension between representation and imagination. His characters seem both familiar and mysterious, as if they belong to a parallel world, both near and far.
Also a committed woman, Claire Tabouret campaigns for diversity and inclusiveness, and she regularly invests in social and humanitarian projects. She puts her art at the service of noble causes, such as the defense of women's rights, the protection of the environment or the promotion of peace in the world. She believes in the capacity of art to connect living beings to each other, to transform consciousness and inspire change, wishing to contribute, in her own way, to a fairer and more harmonious world. What can I add, except that in the aftermath of the European elections, I hope with all my heart that she succeeds...
Article written by Valibri in Roulotte
Visual: Claire Tabouret - Seated Bather, 2022
Bronze fountain in the garden of Palazzo Cavanis in Venice.