My name is Franck Alasseur, born on July 29, 1976, in Lyon, France
I hold a degree in Fine Arts from St Étienne (DNAP 2001) as well as a master’s in painting from the Fine Arts Academy in Nancy (DNSEP 2003).
After obtaining my degrees, my artistic life took a unique turn. In 2003, I moved to Prague, where I dedicated twenty years to photography, mainly exploring portrait and experimenting with light in both color and black and white.
One of my most notable series « Une demi-seconde » presents an experiment and explains the only common rule: the duration of the exposure time. Everything else is open, variable.
The author himself speaks of the photographs in the cycle « Une demi-seconde » as an experience : « They touch the limits of what we see. Added to this is the recording of the movement of the observed reality and of myself. I try to move in the same direction; it resembles expressionist painting, but unlike expressionist painting, I cannot pre-insert anything, I work with total virtuality, I don’t know in advance what it will be, I can’t plan anything. »
For exemple, this triptych photography inspired by the book « logic of sensation » by Gilles Deleuze on the work of Francis Bacon.
In 2021, my artistic journey naturally led me back to my roots in painting. Seeking a more tangible and earthly expression, I established my own studio in Prague, on the border of Vinohrady and Grebovka Park.
In 2022, I produced about 80 canvases, mostly in large format.
All the formats are deliberately different, each canvas inserting a new relationship to space.
My artistic work is grounded in expressing my sensitivity towards nature, where light plays a central role. Abstract painting offers the audience the freedom to interpret each piece in their own way, to engage in a sensory experience. My inspiration is drawn from renowned artists such as Pierre Soulage, Yves Klein, Gerhard Richter, Fabienne Verdier, Mark Rothko…
The creative process is guided by the artwork itself, seeking to bring depth or lightness, to enrich or simplify it. Once balanced, each piece aims to evoke an individual imagination, enhancing over time.
« It’s what I’m doing that teaches me what I’m looking for. »
« I plead for an open painting, which goes without worrying about all the culture that we have received »
– Pierre Soulages –
« We do not paint for design students or historians, but for human beings, and the human response is the only thing that is truly satisfying for an artist. »
– Mark Rothko –
About the philosophical dimension of the method. « In general, my method relates to the idea that we do not know and cannot know what will happen. Sometimes we futilely try to plan the future, but when we let things take their course, it happens differently, sometimes even better. Everyone is an artist; it just requires opening up to the world, perceiving actively. The humanistic approach is important. Like when you open a piano, only then can you play it. » – Franck Alasseur –
