Marée Basse II (Rochers) 1984

Gilles Aillaud’s painting, Marée Basse II, presents us with a study of light and texture on a beach at low tide, realized in soft, muted tones. The composition is structured around the arrangement of rocks against the flat expanse of sand, evoking a sense of stillness. Aillaud’s approach to form is fascinating here; the rocks are rendered with a palpable weight and volume through subtle gradations of color. The use of a relatively high vantage point flattens the perspective, emphasizing the surface quality of the painting itself. This reminds us of the modernist concern with acknowledging the two-dimensionality of the picture plane. The muted palette and attention to the interplay of forms suggest an engagement with the phenomenological experience. Aillaud invites us to contemplate the interplay of solidity and fluidity and how perception shapes our understanding of the natural world. What do you think?