French artist JeanP Carp’s inspiration to paint came from watching directors of photography establish lighting for film sets. An award-winning production designer himself (1992 French Cesar for Delicatessen), he drew on his experiences in the film industry to take up the challenge of creating on a blank canvas. Carp’s abstract color fields and landscapes are painted with the eye of a filmmaker: keen attention is paid to light, angle and subject. However, unlike a filmmaker, these techniques are not meant to frame a subject, for Carp these elements are the subject.

His carpentry craftsmanship, learned at design school and in the field, and his use of a rich, saturated color range enhance each work. Iron rods extending from the works physically bridge the gap between the viewer’s space and the work while also allowing for a sharing of energy between the two separate entities of the viewer and the work. In this way, Carp asks the viewer to partake in his work beyond what film can offer.