We are delighted to present to you the first ever monograph of Gaël Davrinche. It is born out of our deep appreciation for his work and of the unique position he occupies in the history of Painting, nowadays a complex and chaotic place, by which we mean his approach of referencing and repossessing as necessary practices today for whoever aims to paint / de-paint. It also comes of his opening for us the doors of his workshop and allowing a photo-shoot that illuminates his way of confronting large canvasses, his relationship to matter, to tools, to the whole environment of a painter. Davrinche’s presence in this book is strongly felt, first physically, under the watchful eye of photographer Pascal Béjean, but also in the frank and uncompromising interview the painter agreed to sit down for with us. This volume devotes its lion share to the painter’s works, since painting is better understood and better asserts itself when seen on a timeline, evolving, in the flow of distinct series. This is especially true with Davrinche, who developed for himself over time a very personal voice, a unique sort of unsettling writing in which he both is revealed and vanishes, and where he deliberately crosses genres and techniques, good and bad painting. Richard Leydier provides a kind and pertinent introduction to this volume, which we are sure will make you want to know more about not just this work but the artist behind it, too.

Art Book Magazine