The Wind Blows Where It Wills

Franck Chalendard's exhibition, "The wind blows where it wills," at Ceysson & Bénétière Paris, showcases paintings and sculptures that extend his artistic practice beyond the canvas. Chalendard's approach is characterized by a dual principle of "expenditure" and serial exploration of color and gesture. He establishes a method to structure the canvas, then improvises stroke by stroke, allowing each element to respond to the previous one until a satisfactory pictorial state is achieved.

Recent works integrate pictorial and plastic approaches, applying elements like cardboard or wood to brushstrokes to create literal relief and luminosity. In large-scale paintings such as "Gargouilles," Chalendard incorporates sculptural parts directly onto the canvas surface. These elements extend into the viewer's space, expanding the boundaries of painting and presenting a baroque style that emphasizes the coexistence of contradictions.