At a Parisian painter’s flat overlooking Place de la Bastille, BACO’s Paris correspondent Marianne Dorell explores the world of an artist who is inspiring fashion.
PARIS–“You’ll find my studio at the 7th floor and a half, like in the movie Being John Malkovich,” Eloi Derôme said. Amused and surprised by this indication, we enter a beautiful Haussmann building, next to Place de la Bastille and take the main stairs. At the 7.5th floor, a little and discreet door- that could totally lead to John Malkovich’s brain- bring us to the servants stairwell. More climbing and we finally arrive to several connected chambres de bonnes, with all the details needed for a perfect movie on French Boheme: the mixed pigment powder, brushes and various tools stained with fresh paint, annotated papers, tobacco crumbs and a breathtaking view of the Golden Angel of Bastille Square. With the Opera on one side, the sun-kissed Eiffel tower on the other, we are in the atelier of parisian painter Eloi Derôme.
The French artist recently showcased his last work as part of Paris Fashion Week in the Galerie Frangulyan. In this new big canvas series, the oil is woven and cut in a “haute couture” fashion and the color strata rises to the surface in painted waves. With a passion for colours and their power, Eloi is very much interested in fashion and would be very keen on developing his work for printed fabrics. “When you dress, you are a moving canvas,” he said with a smile.
Inspired by the European avant-garde movement CoBrA, Eloi sculpts the oil paint like a material; lines, furrows, carvings, recesses are the patterns that bring us into the canvas.
Like in his “Oblongue” series, in which some paintings are reminiscent of the marvelous work of Murano glass artisans, the contours arise from the thick paint and with their crevices, they bring to life some magic and mysterious patterns. Definetely ones worthy of the catwalk and that we would love to wear.
Occupation : Painter
Age : 33 year old
Location : Paris
The Look : Some vintage luxury clothes (The Look, 1, rue Crespin du Gast, 75011), trousers Purification Garcia, Bonnet, American Apparel, Teddy American Gangter, shoes Gérard Dené Paris
Personal Style : Boho chic with an alternative touch. “I like to cause a reaction in my entourage with my outfit, to have comments. It is always a nice way to start a conversation.”
Always : Colors. “They bring light and they are particularly needed when you live in a grey city like Paris”
Never : “Comply to absurd and so-called fashion laws”
Eloi’s Paris: Lunch – Manger, 24, rue Keller 75011 Paris http://manger-leresto.com. Drinks- L’Autobus, 1, rue Oberkampf and Le Connétable, 55, rue des Archives, www.leconnetable.net
To check Elio’s next exhibitions :
–By Marianne Baisnee
