Laurent Dauptain Art Exhibit

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Laurent Dauptain in front of himself

A hallmark of the best sociocultural circles, is the exquisite graciousness expressed by the people in them. I was the recipient of such a gesture when on October 6th, while making my way home from covering a book signing event in SoHo, I happened to pass by Axelle Fine Arts Galerie in West Broadway and noticed a very lively party going on inside, and also a greeter at the door. Asking if it was an RSVP affair, and being told that yes, it was a "By invitation only" Art opening, I identified myself as a blogger and asked if I could cover the event. The response was as positive as it was instantaneous. It became the best time I spent that evening.

Laurent Dauptain was born on March 25, 1961. A graduate of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris (1981) and the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs (1983), he gained a master’s degree in Aesthetics in 1984. After years of painting self portraits from every perspective, he found his niche painting large representations of his face. Although he continually paints the same face, the outcome is always unique. He experiments with brush stroke, texture, palette and attention to details. At times, his compositions appear to be completely abstract, but upon further examination, a face always emerges.

Although known for his self portraits, Dauptain is very successful with other genres. His landscapes and cityscapes are reminiscent of Hopper, yet Dauptain takes greater liberties with brush stroke to infuse a sense of movement in the painting that can be linked to impressionism.

Since 1981, Dauptain has exhibited constantly and received numerous awards for his work, the most recent of which include the Grand Prix of the Salon des Peintres de l’Armée (2003), the Taylor Prize (2001), and the gold medal of the Salon des Artistes Français (1997).

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