Since 1956, Jean Claude Picot has been working exclusively as a professional artist. He was greatly influenced by the works of the Fauvist masters Vlaminck, Derain and Matisse. These artists, whose exuberant canvases created great attention in the first decade of the 20th century due to their revolutionary use of color, texture and abstract form, have inspired Picot for decades and one finds many similar characteristics in his works. Picot has developed a unique style that recalls a Post-Impressionist application of color combined with the expressive qualities of form and line. The world of his art is often one of a happy reflection and relaxation, and possesses his personal “joie de vivre.” He frequently captures the animation, romance and essence of the landscape as his favored subject, although he also creates still-lifes, cityscapes, markets, and festival scenes. All of his work is imbued with the same bright and cheerful character, and is instantly identifiable.
Since 1947 he has exhibited in over fifty one-person shows throughout the world including exhibitions in the United States, Belgium, Norway and Australia. Picot lives a part of the year in the south of France, and often draws on the Cote d’Azur—its visitors, its beaches and its boat-filled harbors. His work abounds with natural beauty and features breathtaking panoramic views charged with the unique light of the Mediterranean. Picot works in a Post-Impressionist manner reducing flowers, trees, houses and figures to their essential forms.
In reviews of Picot’s most recent solo shows in Paris, Bordeaux and Oslo, the critics cited the affinities between the masters of Impressionism and early 20th Century Fauvism with Picot’s work. Today in the 21st Century, Picot continues the tradition of important French landscape painters.
Picot actively works in many media – oil, acrylic, watercolor, etching, ceramic and most recently, serigraphy and embellished serigraphy, which beautifully capture his vibrant color and painterly technique. His work is a favorite of collectors internationally, and is represented in prestigious collections worldwide.
Artist Picture and Biography Credited To Park West Gallery
