For the people who comprise his community of supporters – friends, fans, peers, patrons – the question has lingered whether local artist Claude Marquis would ever paint again. His star had been on the rise from the mid-90s to the early ‘00s, so it came as a surprise when sometime after his critically-acclaimed “Nature Boy” show at Galerie Montcalm in 2003, he stopped.
The artist swapped his brushes for recording software and went about breathing life into a catalogue of some 100+ original songs that he’d quietly amassed since youth. What began with a few humble home recordings (Claude taught himself how to record & mix) has grown into the realization of his musical vision – a wildly popular act known as The PepTides.
So you might say that last Saturday night, Patrick Gordon Framing played host to a rather momentous occasion.
When word began circulating of a showing of a retrospective collection of Claude’s visual art, the town started buzzing. A couple of media stories confirmed his return to painting and before long, the list of confirmed attendees on the Facebook event page was climbing.
It was both a laid-back and celebratory affair. Billed as a sale, the retrospective is a rare opportunity to revisit Claude’s artistic past. Patrick Gordon’s space makes for a perfect gallery, with the familiar faces of Claude’s portraits hung from walls and crates alike. An ensemble of musicians in the corner provided a light jazzy soundtrack (singers from The PepTides joined them for a later set). For many of us, it was like reconnecting with old friends. For others, it was a chance to meet for the first time the portraits that had put a burgeoning artist on the map of local and regional art scenes.
When I spoke to Claude on Sunday, I was eager to find out what feedback he got from attendees.
“A lot of comments were the same as what I’ve been hearing my whole career – people not only appreciate the quality of the work, but the atmosphere it creates. Not necessarily a message, but a feeling of unease. I get compliments about paintings that challenge.”
Claude believes art should go beyond the expected.
“I’m always taken aback when people are open to hanging darker pieces in their living room. I appreciate people who can go beyond needing art to decorate the walls or match the couch.”
I overheard someone at the show remark to Claude that he (the artist) had obviously been grappling with tough issues when creating some of this past work and he had responded, “Art was a way of purging my demons.”
So I had to ask whether new demons have brought him back to the canvas. Claude says he’s worked through so many difficult things over the past 20 years, that’s not a primary motivator these days.
The series now in progress has “an air of melancholy” he says, but isn’t necessarily evocative of the emotions or questions people may have inferred from earlier work.
I wondered whether The PepTides – such a major part of his life, time, and creative energy – could be a sort of muse for his new visual art.
“[The success of the PepTides] just confirms to me that if you have a vision – and that goes for any kind of creative aspect in life that starts as a seed in the brain – it can come to fruition if you give it the time and dedication it requires.”
Okay, so The PepTides is more a proof of mission than inspiration. But I still wanted to know, what (or who) is Claude painting these days, what themes is he exploring?
Turns out, Claude’s latest inspiration is technical: “I’ve always asked my subjects to stand under a certain type of light to create a certain type of shadow. Now, I’m working with full-on lighting with no shadows. It presents a really different challenge for me as a painter.”
“Everything under the sun’s been done. Hopefully as an artist you can find something that has a little originality.”
Screen shot of Claude Marquis’ work, reproduced with the permission of the artist
Maybe the artist has evolved past the angst that might have imbued some of his past creations. Or perhaps it’s just a calming that comes with age. But this artist does not appear to be brooding.
Should fans expect to see the quirky campy pop sensibilities of The PepTides reflected in Claude’s new paintings?
“I’m not worried about what this will say or where it’s going. I’m just happy doing it.”
While the show was billed as a sale and several paintings were indeed purchased that night, everything will remain hung for five weeks. Don’t miss the chance to see them in person. Patrick Gordon Framing is at 160 Elm Street.
