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BERNARD BAILLY
Bernard Bailly was born in Geneva in 1949 and studied for his art school diploma at the Ecole Supérieur d’Arts Visuels in the same town. In parallel to his artistic career he is an art teacher at the College St-Michel in Fribourg (drawing, painting and engraving).
Two exhibitions at Tate Britain (John Constable, The Great Landscapes in 2006 and Peter Doig in 2008) as well as time spent watercolour painting in the open air with Janet have had a strong influence on recent developments in his work.
From 2003 to 2007 his paintings formed large colourful frescos full of carefully-placed figures. Inspired by contemporary themes, stylistically his work seemed reminiscent of strip cartoon illustrations but in fact the format, painting quality on canvas and the composition owed more to classical painters like Rubens than to Japanese mangas.
Today Bernard Bailly’s work has changed considerably. He bases his paintings on detailed graphite sketches he has made in the open air at some of the most picturesque places in the canton of Fribourg. Back in the studio the drawings are transformed into large-scale paintings which are both surprisingly innovative and yet respectful of the great landscape painters of the past. When figures are present they are smaller, taking their place in the imposing landscapes. Assisted by Janet, he gives free rein to his talent in a contemporary style inspired by both Fauve Expressionism and Romanticism.
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