Ocean Blues: The Curse of the Caribbean

“Curse of the Caribbean”: from an oil painting by Pascal Lecocq,”The Painter of Blue.”

A frequent presence at marine aquarium and dive industry events, French artist Pascal Lecocq has departed from his usual whimsical compositions and offered his statement on the tragedy of Pterois spp. lionfishes spreading throughout the Caribbean and tropical Western Atlantic.

Known as “The Painter of Blue,” Pascal is best known for a painting called Corrida III depicting a scuba diver playing matador, taming a Great White Shark with a scarlet cape.

Here’s how the artist describes his approach to painting:

CALLIGRAMME DE GRENOUILLE 30/ Calligram of Frog #30 by Pascal Lecocq. Click to enlarge.

Having always my head in the clouds, I’m painting an imaginary universe between outer space and the depth of the oceans, a refuge to escape the contemporary reality, I offer too to my viewers.

As it happens, the traditional oil painting is my best way to share my thoughts and I try to bring it to perfection since 35 years, just to be sure the viewer will focus on the subject, not the medium.

I’m increasing the layers of meaning (aesthetic, political, ecological, symbolic and allegorical), in an endless play (alliterations of words, shapes, numbers or letters) /building set (always using the Golden Ratio), not to confuse the issue or by intellectual arrogance, but on the contrary, to reach a greater majority of people able to understand the message.

The transposition of the reality into an underwater world generates some humor, but hides more meanings.

In addition, there’s my willing to share some knowledge and to build a better word. I want a keen viewer creating its own story from the painting or seeking the occult meaning. Therein, by intellectual game, I’m not sending a direct message, but a subtle one.

I’m a painter of imagination, Surrealist, but won’t be surprised to be considered part of the Figuration Narrative. However, nobody yet cracks my Code, which will regard me as a Conceptual artist. More than considering the influences of Salvador Dali, The Mystic Lamb by Jan Van Eyck, Vermeer, The Isle of the Dead by Böcklin, think about the writings of a Georges Perec or the movies by Peter Greenaway.

In fact, I’m a Postmodern painter. Besides, I attended Jean- François Lyotard’s philosophical courses, the theoretician of the Postmodernism at the Collège International de Philosophie (Paris 1986-7).

Pascal Lecocq, Ph.D.

His works are available as original paintings, prints, postcards and mugs at the Pascal Lecocq site and store.  He will be exhibiting in the Art Basel Miami starting this weekend. (November 23, 2013.)

Images © Pascal Lecocq.