JOSQUIN
Native American Obsession
Josquin's fascination with Native Americans dates back to his childhood, where he voraciously read and amassed books of legends about different tribes. He only began painting them later, in the 2000s, but the inspiration had always been deeply ingrained within him. He approaches their portraits like landscapes, often adhering to a consistent format and organizing colors and contrasts in a unique manner. Yet, what he paints extends beyond landscapes; it's also the desperate plight of the Native Americans that profoundly moves him and that he seeks to express on canvas, as a tribute.
Josquin identifies with their profound connection to nature—a connection he shares: a respect for nature, an attentive ear to its nuances, and a harmonious coexistence with the natural world. While not a religious person, Josquin is spiritual, finding solace in the countryside, where he experiences the physical contact he craves. There, he rediscovers the harmony between animals, elements, and the overall symbiosis that resonates with the Native American way of life.
His portraits exist in the realm between reality and imagination, much like his landscapes. Josquin is extensively knowledgeable, boasting a vast library on tribes, their traditions, and an erudition on their cultures. He can perfectly recognize different groups. Working from photos and comprehensive documentation, he transforms these references, integrating and reshaping them without simply transcribing or copying.
Ultimately, Josquin aims to convey the strength inherent in the Native Americans. His portraits, faces four times the size of our own, dominate the canvas head-on. This is where the modernity lies: he seeks to provoke a powerful reaction by presenting beautiful, dignified men. It's a tribute, far removed from any form of appropriation. The history of these Indians, dispossessed of their culture and land, resonates with him personally. There's both identification and empathy: spirituality, dispossession, the rupture of harmony with nature—a reflection of the concerns that plague modern man.
Oil Pastel on Cardboard. 55 x 39.5” (140 x 100cm)
