I was wondering a little while ago, why I kept returning to painting the sea. It’s basically the same subject matter, same composition and so on. What sustains my interest in it?
I took some time to come to a conclusion, but what became very clear to me after a while was music. I sometimes have this experience with my paintings - an experience in that I can hear them in a musical way; just like how some music you can see, music thats visual, in the way that Debussys’ La Mar puts you way out to sea.
The sea is like one of those loved classic compositions - open to interpretation and variation, new arrangements and complete recompositions. Each new painting offers an opportunity for a new interpretation, a new variation, a chance to play with the execution and performance. The sea can be fugue-like, shamelessly romantic, minimalistic, or abstract and it’s what draws me to paint this subject time and time again.
Chris Langlois has held over 35 solo exhibitions throughout Australia; curated into numerous group exhibitions and a finalist in many art prizes including the Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
