Jacques Benoit (born 22 June 1955) is a
French painter
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
.
Biography
Born in
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
in the
French Algeria
French Algeria (french: Alger to 1839, then afterwards; unofficially , ar, الجزائر المستعمرة), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of French colonisation of Algeria. French rule in the region began in 1830 with the ...
, Jacques Benoit left for
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
at the age of seven, after the
Algerian independence war
The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
. He attended high school at
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...]
, eventually settling in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, where he studied
Graphic Arts
A category of fine art, graphic art covers a broad range of visual artistic expression, typically two-dimensional, i.e. produced on a flat surface. at the Met de Penninghen Art School in the early 1970s.
As a young professional, Benoit worked in advertising agencies before taking the position of Creative Director at
Euro Disney
Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort in Chessy, France, east of Paris. It encompasses two theme parks, resort hotels, Disney Nature Resorts, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and a golf course. Disneyland Park is the origin ...
, between 1991 and 1995; followed by another two-year stint as Director of Creative at the
Futuroscope Park, between 2000 and 2002.
The new century marked a turning point in Benoit's life, as the painter abandoned his career in advertising to commit himself full-time to the painting activities he had started in the mid 1990s.
Style
Since the late 1990s, Benoit's work has been mostly inspired by
Modern Architecture
Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that form ...
, including its Brazilian branch (inaugurated by the architect
Lúcio Costa
Lúcio Marçal Ferreira Ribeiro Lima Costa (27 February 1902 – 13 June 1998) was a Brazilian architect and urban planner, best known for his plan for Brasília.
Career
Costa was born in Toulon, France, the son of Brazilian parents. His fath ...
, and developed by his apprentice
Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (15 December 1907 – 5 December 2012), known as Oscar Niemeyer (), was a Brazilian architect considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was ...
).
Pop Music is another strong influence on Benoit's paintings, which encompass
figurative, narrative and
symbolic trends. As primary influence, the painter quotes the music of
Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
. But also the music of
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
,
Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including Rock music, rock, Rhythm and blues, R&B ...
,
Kate Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...
, or
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946)
is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album '' Horses''.
Called the "punk poe ...
, followed by the
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
music of
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...
,
Shirley Horn
Shirley Valerie Horn (May 1, 1934 – October 20, 2005) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She collaborated with many jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis and othe ...
and the
Jazz Fusion
Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...
composer
Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer.
He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progre ...
.
Occasionally Benoit's paintings can also make reference to
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
’s and
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
’s films.
Influences
The music of Elton John
In 1973
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
commissioned Jacques Benoit a series of artworks to be used in the promotional material for John's 1974 US & World Tour (tour book, T-shirts and posters).
Thirty years later, Benoit contributed to the
Elton John AIDS Foundation
The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is a nonprofit organization, established by rock musician Sir Elton John in 1992 in the United States and 1993 in the United Kingdom to support innovative HIV prevention, education programs, direct care an ...
by offering the singer a painting especially made for him, inspired by his composition ''Ballad of the Boy in the Red Shoes'' from his 2001 album ''
Songs from the West Coast
''Songs from the West Coast'' is the twenty-sixth studio album by English musician Elton John, released worldwide on 1 October 2001.
Background
For this album, John once again collaborated with long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin, marking the f ...
''.
The music of Joni Mitchell
Passionate about the music of the Canadian composer and singer Joni Mitchell, Benoit produced, between 1977 and 1989, a series of works inspired by a selection of fifty poems drawn from her albums from ''
Song to a Seagull
''Song to a Seagull'' (also known as ''Joni Mitchell'') is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Produced by David Crosby, the album was recorded in 1967 at Sunset Sound and released on March 23, 1968 by Reprise R ...
'' (1968) through ''
Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm
''Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm'' is the 13th studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1988. It was her third for Geffen Records. The album features various duets with guest artists such as Peter Gabriel on "My Secr ...
'' (1988).
In the 1980s, Benoit and Mitchell met twice to discuss his works. On April 30, 1983, the painter presented a first selection of his works to Mitchell during her series of concerts in Paris at
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
and
Casino de Paris
The Casino de Paris, located at 16, rue de Clichy, in the 9th arrondissement, is one of the well known music halls of Paris, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it is a performance venue, not ...
(Joni Mitchell World Tour, Wild Things Tour/1983).
Encouraged by this meeting, Benoit pursued his work, planning to publish a book with Mitchell's lyrics alongside his paintings. In 1987 the painter sent the book's mockup to
Box
A box (plural: boxes) is a container used for the storage or transportation of its contents. Most boxes have flat, parallel, rectangular sides. Boxes can be very small (like a matchbox) or very large (like a shipping box for furniture), and can ...
in
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, where Mitchell was then recording her new album ''
Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm
''Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm'' is the 13th studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1988. It was her third for Geffen Records. The album features various duets with guest artists such as Peter Gabriel on "My Secr ...
'' at
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...
’s
Real World Studios
Real World Studios is a residential recording studio complex founded by Peter Gabriel and situated in the village of Box, Wiltshire, England, near to the city of Bath. It is closely associated with the Real World Records record label, Real Wor ...
.
A second meeting took place in the Real World studio, where Benoit presented Mitchell with a series of new paintings. Altogether, Benoit's production comprises sixty
gouaches
Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouache h ...
,
engravings
Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an in ...
(as monotype
linocut prints),
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
and large-format paintings on paper based on Mitchell’s texts.
According to Benoit, it was this Joni Mitchell phase that led him to embrace his career as a professional painter.
The World Trade Center
In 2002 Benoit saw on the French TV channel
France 3
France 3 () is a French free-to-air public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5 and France Info.
It is made up of a network of regional television services providing ...
the ''
9/11
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
'' documentary film about the
terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. The film was directed by the then fireman
James Hanlon
James Hanlon (born 1966) is an American actor and director; he also served as a New York City firefighter. He executive produced and directed the CBS documentary film ''9/11''.
Early life and education
Hanlon was born in the South Bronx and g ...
and the French-American filmmakers
Jules and Gédéon Naudet
Jules Clément Naudet and brother Thomas Gédéon Naudet are French-American filmmakers. The brothers, residents of the United States since 1989 and citizens since 1999, were in New York City at the time of the September 11 attacks to film a docu ...
.
In the film, James Hanlon suggested an identical reconstruction of the destroyed towers, while the Mayor of New York City
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
advocated the construction of a
9/11 memorial alongside a brand new development.
Those opposing views inspired Benoit's own vision of the reconstructed towers, exactly as they were, with a memorial inserted into its original design.
In agreement with Gédéon Naudet, Benoit donated a
triptych
A triptych ( ; from the Greek language, Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) t ...
of his proposal to James Hanlon at the
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), is an American department of the government of New York City that provides fire protection services, technical rescue/special operations services, ...
in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
.
The architecture of Oscar Niemeyer
Exhibition: ''Brasilia. Flesh and Soul'' (1997, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2014)
In 1997, Benoit exhibited in Paris his first series of paintings inspired by the city of
Brasilia (a place the painter visited for the first time in 1994). The paintings were followed by a new series of works, under the title ''Brasilia. Flesh and Soul'', exhibited in art galleries and at the
Maison du Brésil in Paris in 2005, 2007 and 2010. "Brasilia. Flesh and Soul" was also presented during the summer of 2014, in the French city of Châlons-en-Champagne, and inaugurated by former State Secretary and current Deputy and Mayor of Châlons,
Benoist Apparu
Benoist Apparu (born 24 November 1969) is a French politician of The Republicans who served as Secretary of State for Housing under the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, in the F ...
.
''Brasilia. Travel towards Dawn'' (2004)
In 2003, the Brazilian architect
Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (15 December 1907 – 5 December 2012), known as Oscar Niemeyer (), was a Brazilian architect considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was ...
received Jacques Benoit's proposal for a documentary film about the creation of Brasilia entitled ''Brasilia. Travel towards Dawn''. The architect agreed to meet the artist in 2004 in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
for a filmed interview, produced and directed by Benoit.
After the interview, Benoit offered the architect a painting representing his 1960's project for the
Brasília International Airport
Brasília–Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport is the only international airport serving Brasília. The airport was named after Juscelino Kubitschek (1902–1976), the 21st President of Brazil. It is located in the administra ...
. Niemeyer's modern airport had never been built due to divergences with the
military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a dictatorship in which the military exerts complete or substantial control over political authority, and the dictator is often a high-ranked military officer.
The reverse situation is to have civilian control of the m ...
that ruled
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
between 1964 and 1985. As a gesture of courtesy, Oscar Niemeyer offered the painter his sketches made during the interview.
Back in France, the painter made a 13-minute trailer out of the three-hour-long rushes he produced in Brazil. In the following years, Benoit met several French production companies who showed interest for the film. The project, however, never reached production stage due to lack of funding.
Exhibition: ''Three Traces of Oscar'' (2006)
In 2005, the director of the Espace Niemeyer cultural center at the
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party (french: Parti communiste français, ''PCF'' ; ) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit in the European Unit ...
headquarters, Gérard Fournier, visited the ''Brasilia. Flesh and Soul'' exhibition at Maison du Brésil. He decided to host Benoit's next exhibition, ''Three Traces Oscar'', in the party's headquarters, designed by Niemeyer himself.
This project involved the creation of a new series of paintings inspired by the three buildings projected by Oscar Niemeyer in the
Paris metropolitan area
The Paris metropolitan area (french: aire d'attraction de Paris) is a statistical area that describes the reach of commuter movement to and from Paris, France and its surrounding suburbs.
Overview
In 2020 France's national INSEE statistical ...
: the headquarters of the French Communist Party in the
Place du Colonel Fabien
The Place du Colonel Fabien (in English: "Colonel Fabien Square") is a square in Paris, France.
Before the liberation of Paris, the square was called the ''Place du Combat'', but it was renamed in honour of the French communist resistance hero, ...
, the headquarters of the Bourse du Travail in
Bobigny
Bobigny () is a commune, or town, in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Bobigny is the prefecture (capital city) of the Seine-Saint-Denis department, as well as the seat of the A ...
and the headquarters of the daily ''
L'Humanité
''L'Humanité'' (; ), is a French daily newspaper. It was previously an organ of the French Communist Party, and maintains links to the party. Its slogan is "In an ideal world, ''L'Humanité'' would not exist."
History and profile
Pre-World Wa ...
'' in
Saint-Denis.
The ''Three Traces of Oscar'' exhibition opened at the Espace Niemeyer in November 2006, closing in March 2007. It consisted of 28 large format canvases and a series of monotype linocut prints. Among these works, ''A Painter’s Dream'', a four-piece
polyptych
A polyptych ( ; Greek: ''poly-'' "many" and ''ptychē'' "fold") is a painting (usually panel painting) which is divided into sections, or panels. Specifically, a "diptych" is a two-part work of art; a "triptych" is a three-part work; a tetrapty ...
that imagined an allegorical meeting between Oscar Niemeyer, Stanley Kubrick and Kate Bush, as well as the painting ''Clouds'', another allegorical meeting, this time bringing Oscar Niemeyer and Joni Mitchell together.
Exhibition: Château d’Ars (2009)
In 2009, the mayor of the city of
La Chatre
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on Figure 8 ( ...
in the French region of
Indre
Indre (; oc, Endre) is a landlocked department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administ ...
,
Nicolas Forissier, invited Jacques Benoit to exhibit at the Château d'Ars's art galleries for a two-month event that combined different themes exploited by his work - with an emphasis on the canvas that paid tribute to Oscar Niemeyer's architecture.
The exhibition, including some samples of a series dedicated to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and two canvases paying tribute to
George Sand
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil (; 1 July 1804 – 8 June 1876), best known by her pen name George Sand (), was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. One of the most popular writers in Europe in her lifetime, bein ...
, was eventually called ''Oscar, Stanley, Joni, Rickie Lee, George, Kate et autres Corps et Âmes hantant les lieux du Monde'' (literally, ''Oscar, Stanley, Joni, Rickie Lee, George, Kate and others Bodies & Souls haunting the World’s Places'').
50th Anniversary of Brasilia (2010)
In 2009 the Commission for the 50th Anniversary of Brasilia selected Benoit's works to be included in the official program to be held in the Brazilian capital in the following year. Benoit's exhibition, entitled ''Brasília. De Carne e Alma'' (Brasilia. Flesh and Soul) and organized in the Rubem Valentim Gallery at the Renato Russo Cultural Center, contained 27 large format paintings on canvas and paper, as well as monotypes by different techniques.
''Brasília'' (2011): At the request of Gérard Fournier, the 50th Anniversary of Brasilia exhibition was presented in Paris, at the Espace Niemeyer during two months in the spring of 2011.
''Brasilia. Half a Century of the Capital of Brazil'' (2013)
''Brasilia. Half a Century of the Capital of Brazil'' is a traveling exhibition on the history of the city through a collection of documents, objects and photographs dating back to the 18th century. The show was held at Espace Niemeyer in Paris and presented a selection of Benoit's works. It also included the 2013 polyptych ''(A Ausência) The Absence'', painted by Benoit. This symbolic work commemorates Oscar Niemeyer's death, occurred in December 2012. It portrays Niemeyer's loft on Copacabana beach, where he lived and worked, alongside
Brasilia's cathedral, one of his most iconic projects. According to the painter, the polyptych was made under the influence of
Melody Gardot
Melody Gardot (; born February 2, 1985) is an American jazz singer.
At the age of 19, Gardot was involved in a bicycle accident and sustained a head injury. Music played a critical role in her recovery. She became an advocate of music therapy, ...
’s music, from her 2012 album
''The Absence'', as well as the composition ''Nenia'' by the Italian trumpeter
Paolo Fresu
Paolo Fresu ( sc, Pàulu; born 10 February 1961) is an Italian jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player, as well as a composer and arranger of music.
Career
Born in Berchidda, Sardinia, he picked up the trumpet at the age of 11, and played in the ban ...
.
Los Angeles and the music of Rickie Lee Jones
Tapping different architectural and urban sources, Benoit created in 2007 a series of canvas inspired by
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, CA, offering a
kaleidoscopic nocturne vision of the city.
This vision, entitled ''Sur la Trace des Versants Ouest'' was inspired by the composition ''Traces of the Western Slopes'' by the American musician and composer
Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including Rock music, rock, Rhythm and blues, R&B ...
, co-written by Sal Bernardi (seventh track on Rickie Lee Jones' 1981
Pirates album). An over eight-minute-long epic, jazzy and symphonic composition, which explores the confluences of
Jazz Fusion
Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...
,
Blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
and
Rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
, ''Traces of the Western Slopes'' is generally considered one of Rickie Lee Jones's best works of all time.
Exhibition: ''Sur la Trace des Versants Ouest''
Series of nine large format paintings exhibited in Paris in November 2007.
The Architecture of Orly Airport
In 2003, Benoit produced two canvases, ''Orly (South)'', inspired by the
Orly Airport
Paris Orly Airport (french: Aéroport de Paris-Orly), commonly referred to as Orly , is one of two international airports serving the French capital, Paris, the other one being Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It is located partially in Orly an ...
in Paris. Designed by the French architect Henri Vicariot, the 1962 building was renamed South Wing after the addition of a West Wing, and the construction of a new airport (
Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle) in the North of Paris.
Back to his Brazilian projects, the artist put aside the Orly airport series for several years. He was not back to the Orly phase until 2008, as he created a series of 11 new paintings under the influence of the jazz singer
Shirley Horn
Shirley Valerie Horn (May 1, 1934 – October 20, 2005) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She collaborated with many jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis and othe ...
, the soundtrack
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...
composed for
Louis Malle
Louis Marie Malle (; 30 October 1932 – 23 November 1995) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both Cinema of France, French cinema and Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a fi ...
’s film, ''
Lift to the Scaffold'', and the soundtracks of
Claude Lelouch
Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (; born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, screenwriter, writer, cinematographer, actor and film producer, producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish Family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1 ...
’s films
''Live for Life'' and ''
A Man and a Woman
''A Man and a Woman'' (french: Un homme et une femme) is a 1966 French film written and directed by Claude Lelouch and starring Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Written by Lelouch and Pierre Uytterhoeven, the film concerns a young widow a ...
'', both composed by
Francis Lai
Francis Albert Lai (; 26 April 19327 November 2018) was a French composer, noted for his film scores. He won the 1970 Oscar for Best Music, Original Score and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for the film '' Love Story''. The s ...
.
Exhibition: ''Orly (South)''
In 2012, the gallery Dubois Friedland in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
presented the ''Orly (South)'' exhibition with the support of the French Embassy
[''Orly (Sud)'' and the French Embassy in Belgiu]
View on line
/ref> in Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
Since then Benoit has been working on a sequel to ''Orly (Sud)'', with a new series of paintings inspired by the works of the French architect Henri Vicariot.
Notes
http://www.jacquesbenoit.com/Accueil_page_UK.html
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benoit, Jacques
1955 births
People from Algiers
20th-century French painters
20th-century French male artists
French male painters
21st-century French painters
21st-century French male artists
French illustrators
French poster artists
Living people