annabel faustin's « You’ve got a message from Nature »
from the archives #1
written april 2023
i was lucky enough to recently attend the exposition opening of « You’ve got a message from Nature » by parisian artist Annabel Faustin. this is her second solo show with Galerie Zberro, a lovely gallery in the 8ème, which represents some terrific artists who make up the semi-often group shows and occassional solo shows.
seeing annabel’s signature style come to life over the past few years has been incredible for me, as someone who has a deep appreciation for her work, message and story. if we compare her works from 2020 onwards to this solo exposition, we can see the evolution of her work in every way possible:
what is striking is how rapidly her style has come to life - over the last three years the compositions have become grander, and much finer in detail. the relationship between contemporary human life and nature, as seen through annabel’s eyes, is represented in a more nuanced manner as she takes more and more risks with her creative output. this progression has culminated in her finest collection of works to date - « You’ve got a message from Nature »:
the works in this solo show are huge leap for annabel and her emerging body of work - the commentary on our connection (or lack thereof) with nature and beautiful depiction of femininity is represented in her surreal dream-like compositions. this is what stood out most in this recent collection of works - annabel’s ability to tell a story through her paintings - one that calls for “contemplation and disconnection” in the ever tightening vice of modernity and its need for constant ‘progress’.
on a technical level, look to the details in some of these new pieces:
with La Colline bordant le Lac, we can see her signature merging of humans and nature and the literal personification of the landscape. there is a real ethereal element of this piece which calls to biblical imagery - look to the clouds in the background and the almost angelic flower petals falling to meet our couple. look also to the incredible texture work, the scales on our koi fish friends, the beautiful flowing grass - and the softness of the two figures.
L’Appel de la Forêt incorporates the surrealist elements of annabel’s style that really sets her work apart. this seamless blending of the built and natural world in her work is what draws us in - there isn’t a single element which doesn’t refer back to nature. in annabel’s private garden of eden, of course the walls and the clouds merge, of course a hill rises behind our gentle salient character as a back rest, and of course the phone is left to die in a glass of water.
annabels’ dream world is fully imagined in Un très grand Rêve, where we are thrown into a multi-faceted piece that touches on a few layers of surrealism in her style; our friendly figure is asleep under the cover of rolling hills, head cushioned by the night sky. we can literally count the sheep to find ourselves in a similar meditative slumber - and the calls to nature come from the only depictions of technology in this exposition that aren’t in some state of disrepair, a laptop and phone showing memories of past outings in the sun. look how the grass rises to meet the edges of the tiny houses, the herds of sheep grazing and the tranquil night sky to be invited into annabels piece.
« You’ve got a message from Nature » - will you answer?
please check out annabel faustin’s other work, the photography of her incredibly talented partner mylene comte, and if you are in paris, stop by galerie zberro.