Principle Gallery | 3/7-3/31 | Charleston, SC

A Place to Rest

France Jodoin’s latest body of work at Principle Gallery provides a sense of calm.

The soft and ethereal landscapes of France Jodoin will be on view for collectors to explore during an upcoming solo show at Principle Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina. Working primarily in oil, Jodoin’s artwork is intuitive and instinctive, a beautiful blend of dream and reality.

When the lamps are lit and demand some poetry, oil on linen, 48 x 48"

“When I paint, I constantly tell myself: break the line. I do this precisely to leave behind the details that would create a precise depiction of the subject I am painting,” says the artist. “I want to leave the viewer free to interpret the image and ask themselves, where are the people going? What are they doing? Where are they? I often say that my paintings are like a script without dialogue. There are many clues to recognize a subject, but not enough to create a precise narrative.”

Under the fog of a summer dawn, oil on linen, 48 x 72"

Jodoin’s landscapes and city scenes feel highly atmospheric—a sense of mellow quietude with palettes of muted grays, blues and greens. “I remember visiting the Tate Museum in London a long time ago. They had just renovated a room designated solely to William Turner’s paintings. When I walked into that room, I was literally transported to another world. I felt as if the painter wanted to take me somewhere where I could sit and rest, where I could take time to look at the clouds and feel the mist in the air. I stayed in the room for a long time, immersed in the scenes painted by the master. At the time, I was not yet painting, but the impression left by that visit stayed with me and still inspires me to this day,” says Jodoin. “The colors I use are subdued, toned down, and I believe this helps to create atmospheric works where the viewer is invited to come in…to stop as I did in that room years ago and absorb by looking, interpreting, introspecting.”

Daylight investing form with lucid stillness, oil on linen, 48 x 72"

The exhibition will be held from March 7 to 31, with an opening reception at the gallery from 5 to 8 p.m.

“I try to create places where people can rest, like landscapes do,” says Jodoin. “For me, a landscape is never aggressive. It is restful, meditative and contemplative. I want people who view my paintings to take the time to take the time.” —