From France, With Love!

It was a hot, sultry evening. I packed my bag and switched off my computer, winding up office work for the day. After a long day at work I was quite fatigued out, but was still looking forward to the exhibition that night. Afterall, this was the first time I was going to cover an international artist’s work. Clutching the invitation card in my hands, I headed towards the French Consulate. I was highly amused by the way the security guard first suspiciously eyed my lunch-box and then later, after having found out that I write a column on Art in the Mag, mistook it for my camera! France it is.

After inspecting the contents of my half-eaten lunch, he breathed a sigh of relief as if he had just defused a bomb and gave me the green signal. Barely able to restrain my laughter at the hilarious turn-out of events, I decided to step inside. Clad in a humble Shalwar Kameez, I knew I wasn’t exactly dressed appropriately for the event but I wasn’t really expecting women to be all that decked up either. “I am dressed the way a journalist should be” I consoled myself, shrugging off my reluctance and resolutely moved inside. I sure was in for a surprise! The moment I entered I was lost in a swarm of women flaunting their costly designer outfits and heavily made-up faces.

The elite class got a chance to show-off their affluence, while the impeccable ladies seemed to be swimming in a sea of opulence as they displayed their taste in sparkling diamonds and expensive jewellery. It was almost suffocating to be surrounded by a throng of ladies, which were unaware of the cause for which the exhibition was organised. The grandeur and luxury exhibited was highly unimpressive and did not suit the charity-based event at all. The irony is that the garish event seemed more like a social gathering rather than an effort to help educate disabled children. It was really sad to see women sashaying around, having a ball of a time as if they had gathered for a lavish party.

A cool breeze set the mood for festivity and rejoicement. Soft and subtle music played in the background, further enlivening the atmosphere. The event seemed to have kicked off well; garnering a lot of attention from media. Whereas, art aficionados were engrossed in savouring the delectable paintings, meticulously attired ladies seemed to be busy meeting up with old pals and gossiping away the night. Generosity seemed to be in the air, with people from all walks of life attending Marc Rambeau’s painting exhibition. “It’s all for a good cause. That’s why I am here!” an elderly lady exclaimed enthusiastically.

The Consul General of France Pierre Seillan courteously welcomed guests and celebrities who graced the gathering. Much to my dismay, I found that the artist was not present at the grand event. “He was not able to fly to Pakistan. Right now he is in Australia,” Pierre Seillan lamented. “But the positive aspect is that he volunteered to send his paintings and eagerly donated the proceeds to a non-profitable organisation,” he added. The Consul seemed to be a good friend of the French artist and was delighted when he consented to donate his paintings for such a sublime and worthy cause. Inquisitive as I am, I asked the Consul about the artist’s life and works. He revealed some interesting facts about his life.

Marc Rambeau was born in France in 1945. He studied art at the Villa Thiele (French School for Visual Arts) and at the National School for Decorative Arts in Nice from 1961 to 1963. In 1964 he joined the Robert Boell Workshop in Toulon where he continued his studies.

He later took up residence in Australia where he has his own studio. From 1968 onwards Rambeau’s work took him to the South Pacific where he lived in New-Caledonia and Tahiti, and visited New-Zealand, Chile,Vanuatu, until 1985 when he took up residence in Australia. In 1989 he became an Australian citizen.

As a travelling artist in 1995 and 1996, he lived in Beijing for six months. This stay in China marked a new era for Rambeau’s art, as he discovered the rice paper medium which he has since used extensively in his paintings. The influence of Rambeau’s time in China can be seen in the deceptive simplicity of his bold calligraphic drawings and use of ink on rice paper. It seems that the East meets West in his colour compositions, collages and image repetitions. He used these techniques in the themes he developed in Tahiti in 1997, portraying Polynesian dancing and the vibrance of the Tiurai festival, and then again in 2000 in his “Around the Buoys” project which captured the colour and movement of the America’s Cup regattas. In Australia too his work on the landscapes of the “Outback” is known for its bold simplicity and strong colours.Rambeau regularly exhibits in Singapore, Hong Kong, Paris, Noumea, Tahiti, New-Zealand and of course Australia.

Fond of globe-trotting, the inspiring artist boldly depicts his travelling experiences on canvas. With the who’s who of the Pakistani art Scene present at the French Consulate, with noted artists such as Nahid Raza, Jimmy Engineer and Tabinda Chenoy to name a few, the scintillating event proved to be an enlightening experience for this scribe. I was awestruck by the way the foreign artist depicted Sindh through deft French strokes incorporated in his picturesque landscapes. He demonstrated keen observation and mastery over painting tools by depicting the Chawkandi tombs, the mystical Makli graveyard and his journey to Ranikot. His portrayal of the simple and unpretentious rustic life is indeed exemplary. His works are evocative and the rich colours he employs in the majority of his paintings are reminiscient of the truck-art palette. His true representation of the hustle and bustle of city life contrasts well with the silence and harmony prevailing in a village.

Far from the madding crowds, thronging noisy markets and away from the din, clamour and pollution of urban life, he takes refuge in the peaceful and tranquil villages of Sindh. The artist seems to find solace in colours as he splashes his canvas with shades of scarlet, crimson, ochre and violet. The skies are tainted with streaks of incandescent pink and hazy blue to add a mesmerizing charm to his large size canvas. “Sunday Market” and “Saddar. In The Day Time” tastefully depicted the varied colours of the hectic urban life style.

The veteran artist successfully used impasto technique now and then in his paintings. “He creates a rough texture by using Acrylic on canvas. His works are an enigma for many; the ambiguity of the objects is the hallmark of Marc Rambeau’s paintings as he constantly reinvents his own style by painting in a plethora of mediums all at the same time” candidly opines the renowned artist and social worker Jimmy Engineer. This reflects the versatility of the artist and his flair for working with pastels, acrylic, oil and other mediums.

The glamorous Maria Wasti announced the auctions for three of the artist’s outstanding paintings.“The Quatuor” which showed four musicians playing the violin was indeed an inspiring work of art. The musical harmony that the painting exuded was inimitable. The artist wove a web of magic with his monochrome painting “The Dancer(Tahiti)” which stayed true to the traditions of the place. Whereas, another painting called the “Still Life” was not something extra-ordinary but was still sold at a fairly high price.

It was heartening to see an art exhibition support such a noble cause. All the credit goes to the compassionate artist whose efforts to aid the education of disabled children were praiseworthy.

However, the unnecessary show of extravagance and unpleasant display of wealth along with several other glitches could have been avoided. What further added bad taste to the event was the demeaning attitude of the waiters who considered it necessary only to cater to the elite class. Anyone dressed in expensive outfits would be served with refreshments whereas the reporters, journalists and camera men would be ignored deliberately.