The Model and Its Shadow – Constructions by Nathalie Du Pasquier
It doesn’t seem that long since I last featured Nathalie Du Pasquier, but like all good artists who’re still creating their newer works tend to crop up here again. I was particularly inspired by the ‘construction’ section of her website, which seems to have been updated since the last time I checked. As an artist who paints in quite a minimal way her actual working method is more complex and intriguing than one might think.
Nathalie creates these paintings by using abstract constructions as her aid, so what she sees is technically what she’s viewing in reality. Ironically then, these constructions that I’m presenting here today are both a spin-off and a necessary step for her to create the works that she does on canvas. She uses wooden blocks and ordinary objects painted in solid colours and balances them in unique ways, also using their colour to juxtapose one another, much like you would if you were constructing a building or a set for a play.
Not only does Nathalie have a fantastic eye for form and structure, she’s also extremely talented at painting 3D objects and working with perception. This is best seen in the short film below which is purely observational but showcases this process first hand and presents her wonderful studio in fully glory. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a fascinating method and makes these constructions even more appealing and creative.