The Paintings of Bruno Leydet
Portrait of a man.
Male figures posed in dreamlike contemplation. Surreal backgrounds that recall the reality-bending visual elements of both Salvador Dalí and Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This is the work of Montreal-based painter Bruno Leydet. “My art is not about everyday life,” says the NYU grad. “It’s about the painting itself and beauty.”
Leydet’s quest for a defining style spanned years and continents, from Mexico to Paris, and grew roots from the influence of experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger and expressionist painter Alice Neel. The result? A collection of kitsch-inspired acrylic-on-canvas paintings centred on homoerotic portraiture, a narrative about gay identities. Following appearances at Galerie Youn in Montreal’s Mile End neighbourhood last year, Leydet has positioned himself as one to watch in the domain of contemporary art.
Les fées (24/30 inches, 2019).
Les frères Grimm (24/30 inches Acrylic on canvas 2019).
Tbilisi (24/30 inches).
_________
Never miss a story. Sign up for NUVO’s weekly newsletter, here.
