‘Into the Bubbles’: Between Control and Letting Go

‘The main stages on the creative journey are the preliminary internal stage, the operational stage creating the work and, finally, the passing on to others, to the spectators of the movement portrayed through this work: pre-creation, creation, and re-creation.’

Paul Klee  

My brush, saturated with Chinese ink, wanders on a blank sheet of paper. Sometimes, even simple convolutions are enough. A conscious or unconscious decision? I draw circles in one motion, without lifting my hand off the paper – a kind of automatic drawing. Then, between control and letting myself go, balances are established between white and black, much to my surprise. Dozens of my efforts are thrown on the studio floor. A few are chosen and placed on the drawing board. My hand then takes control, bringing more material, colours, and contrasts. This is probably when my graphic design background comes back into play.  

‘Into the Bubbles’ is the result of a creative process in which spontaneous drawing is gradually transformed into an interpretation of everyday events. Here, this profusion of bubbles is drawn like a reflection from which silhouettes emerge, ultimately irrevocably echoing our contemporary society, and more recently life under the pandemic.

Each round or oval element has its own microcosm. Some forms seem to communicate with one another, while others do not. Ultimately, the bubbles form a vast network, complete with its own share of small, personal stories. Sometimes links are forged between each of them, just as if a spontaneous link had been established.  

Then there is the question of when to stop. When does the process come to an end? Will any addition upset the composition’s fragile balance? This is where we need to step back and let some time pass. “When I no longer feel the need to return to the piece, I feel that the drawing has come to life and will no longer tolerate any intervention on my part. At that point, you have set it free and hope for the best.”    

To the ‘Into the bubbles’ project