The mind of an artist has long since peeked my curiosity, largely because I have always had the greatest respect for their ability to create. Therefore, I was definitely excited by the opportunity to sit down with contemporary artist Edmond Piffard, at his home in La Mesa, California.
The interview took place in his living room, with the company of two very excited and affectionate small dogs. As soon as they had calmed down enough to allow me to uncap my pen, I began with the prompt, “What kind of artists did you admire growing up?” A question that I believe gives a bit of insight into the kinds of influences an artist pulls from. According to Edmond, the painters John Singer Sergeant, and Franz Marc (along with other artists of the German Expressionist movement) gained his esteem, each due to separate reasons. For John Singer Sergeant, it was the technique, or as Mr. Piffard puts it, “he could make a silk gown look like an actual silk gown with only a couple of strokes.” As for Franz Marc, it was the drama and action of the paintings that drew Edmond to them as a child, and were later incorporated into his own recreational artwork. Case in point, Edmond’s personal favorite original piece thus far; Battle of the Milvan Bridge. He describes the painting as incorporating the drama of Marc’s work, with a sense of chaos and craziness. You can tell simply by his expression that this piece holds a special place in Edmond’s artistic repertoire.
“You know, it won an award, but never sold” he remarks with a chuckle. “I think it was the kind of piece that was maybe too much for some people, or made them uncomfortable. Certainly not something they were accustomed to hanging on their walls.” Ironic, bearing in mind that this is his specialty. Edmond works as a muralist and painter for patrons looking to recreate a specific scene or image, primarily from their travels abroad. The process begins by Edmond sifting through photographs provided by his client of their desired image, and selecting the one most suitable to be translated into a painting.
“A good photograph doesn’t necessarily make for a good painting though” says Piffard. Immediately I pounce on the sentiment, considering this is precisely what the next phase of my own assignment is. After asking for advice on how I should go about selecting an image to be painted, Edmond tells me that the most important part about turning a photo into a painting is capturing the essence of the picture, while making it more exciting from an imagery perspective. A good practice is looking at the image from several different angles and becoming familiar with its anatomy inside and out. Something Edmond does in his own work, chiefly while traveling. All of his paintings reflect a great attention to detail while shifting between the balance of what people actually see in a landscape, and what they feel while admiring it, which is what makes for an interesting, quality painting.
At the end of the interview I thank Edmond for his time, and collect my notes from the discussion. More important however, are the thoughts and advice I leave with that I am certain will be of great assistance in the weeks to come.
To learn more about Edmond Piffard, visit:
http://edmondpiffard.com/
