Andre Saint-Louis

The Last Of A Family's Series

2012-01-09T18:29:00.000-06:00

This was the fifth and final painting of a series of family eye portraits in the Caribbean.

RECENT COMMISSION

2011-08-03T19:28:00.000-05:00

Painting of Poppy

2011-03-22T20:55:00.001-05:00

Three Hour Painting

2011-02-20T11:15:00.002-06:00

Caribbean Commissions

2011-02-20T10:46:00.002-06:00

CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY AT BE SPECTACLED

2010-12-14T20:55:00.003-06:00

NEW COMMISSION

2010-12-14T20:48:00.001-06:00

RECENT REVIEW

2010-06-24T17:43:00.002-05:00

Eyeless Element

2010-05-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

"PIECES" currently showing at Grava Gallery

2010-05-03T22:03:00.003-05:00

These are a few of my recent paintings entitled "Pieces".

Tranquil Trace

2010-05-03T22:01:00.001-05:00

Self-Exposed Spec

2010-05-03T21:57:00.001-05:00

RECENT COMMISSIONS

2009-04-21T12:19:00.000-05:00

2009-04-21T12:18:00.000-05:00

2009-04-21T11:58:00.000-05:00

2009-04-21T11:57:00.000-05:00

A NEW LOOK

2008-08-25T11:22:00.002-05:00

2008-06-28T13:37:00.006-05:00

Originally these first few fragment paintings started out as studies. One of my goals in this new series is to play with different color compositions while making my brush strokes more present. I enjoyed painting them so much the became very easy for me to push towards finished art pieces.

OLDER CROPS

2008-06-24T14:31:00.005-05:00

The idea behind this series has to do with two thoughts on painting. First, paintings don't always have to start with drawing four sides. Second, the composition doesn't have to be dictated by the actual painted image. Instead it can be a merge between the physical abstract shape and the painted forms and colors upon it. These paintings end up working more like sculptures playing with positive and negative space. While creating a new perspective for portraiture.

SNEAK PEEK

2008-06-24T14:20:00.003-05:00

People have been asking a lot lately in regards to what I've been working on, besides my commissions. While here is a little sample of whats to come.

NEW WORK SOON!

2008-04-15T13:13:00.003-05:00

I apologize for no new updates on my blog page. I'm currently very busy with a number of commissions as well as working on my panoramic series. I hope to post some images of the new work soon. At that time I will also post the studies from my new series. Keep an eye out!

2008-02-02T12:53:00.000-06:00

He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands, his head and his heart is an artist.
-St.Francis of Assisi

Shepard Express, January 31- February 6, 2008

2008-01-30T18:45:00.000-06:00

Art

Art Review

Windows to the World
B Y J U D I T H A N N M O R I A R T Y

When first looking at an oil “portrait” by Milwaukee artist Andre Saint-Louis, viewers may feel cheated. All you see is a horizontal slice ranging from the lower third of the nose to just above the subject’s eyebrows. But rest assured that the eyes have it, be they surrounded by wrinkles and/or rimmed by eyeglasses, be they scowling or dreamy, or gazing upward, sideways or into the distance.

The artist’s tightly focused, windows-to-the-world approach pays intense attention to the particular (the eyes), and is a stark contrast to our sound-bite culture where flashy talking heads deliver more and more words with less and less meaning. As I studied the portraits, I found myself wondering if television would benefit from revealing only the eyes of the newscasters.

Saint-Louis’ exhibition runs through Feb. 29 at Grava Gallery (207 E. Buffalo St.), where the long and narrow configuration is a perfect space for the artist’s long, narrow works. A perfect adjunct to this solo exhibit would be an exploration of the many portraits at the Milwaukee Art Museum, but don’t stop with the Early European offerings.

Study Warhol’s Marilyn, the massive portrait (Nancy) by Chuck Close and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff’s Heads II. To my mind, Ed Ruscha’s Eye, an elongated take on the world of billboard words, is an elegant salute to “less is more.”

2007-11-18T10:34:00.000-06:00

ARTIST STATEMENT

My art is about the people in my life and surroundings that are documented in the form of painting and sculpture as my personal history. The work is usually inspired by the person, whether it’s their story or just their face. Executing the actual art for me is about the exploration between what I see and what I want the viewer to see. My intentions are not to make perfect replicas of people, but to have captured just enough of the subject’s character. I convey this through the fingerprints of the tools, and the liveliness of the medium to catch the viewers’ interest.

In this series I’ve been exploring the use of panoramic eye compositions as a focus for portraiture. My intent has been to take away some of the traditional mechanics of portrait paintings in hopes to create images in which the viewer can interact. In this format viewer becomes a voyeur looking through small window frames discovering each individual in the paintings. My interest with this panoramic composition is how each persons image, creates a different dynamic within the horizontal rectangle. Without the use of full figures and body language, I’ve captured the character of each individual, through a minimal format on how eyes can tell their own story. At this stage of the series I have minimized the facial expression to avoid cliche images of emotion, instead I try to create intrigue and drama through subtle shifts in the angles of perspective. I also use a larger than life proportions as a tool to challenge the realm of intimacy between the viewer and the painting. This allows the viewer to be engaged with art from a distance, but up close the image becomes lost, and the brush strokes unfold.

2007-10-26T18:09:00.000-05:00

No object is mysterious. The mystery is your eye.
- Elizabeth Bowen

2007-10-26T18:07:00.000-05:00

Life just seems so full of connections. Most of the time
we don't even pay attention to the depth of life.
We only see flat surfaces.
- Colin Neenan

2007-10-26T18:05:00.001-05:00

The soul that can speak with its eyes can also kiss with a gaze.
- Author Unknown