Beachcomber Magazine 02

Gaël Froget ART VANDAL vANDALE DE L’ARt We meet the young Mauritian painter who came to art by “vandalising” magazine pictures, in his studio in Quatre Bornes where his burlesque and tragic creatures come to life, in his head as well as on his walls. Rencontre avec le jeune peintre mauricien, venu à l’art en « vandalisant » les images des magazines, dans son atelier de quatre Bornes où s’animent, sur les murs et dans sa tête, d’extravagantes créatures. F arfromthebeachesandthepalm trees,QuatreBorneshasputupits modernhighrisesandshopping centreinthePlainesWilhemsdistrict inthemiddleoftheisland.It’savery moderntownthatgrewuparoundan oldtextilemarket.ThenearbyAvenue Pasteurislinedwithneatlittletropical suburbanhouses.Oneofthembears theinscription“Bactory”:“ When i found this place two years ago, explainsGaël, my friends and i looked for a name. it was going to be a place to hang out with friends as well as being my studio. a sort of club influenced by pop art, so obviously we thought of andyWarhol’s Factory. then as we were on the ave- nue Pasteur we thought of the famous scientist and his dear bacteria, which are everywhere… (like me on social media, my friends teased). so without wanting to take ourselves too seriously, it became the ‘Bactory’ where, with my musician, writer or artist friends, we sit, we chat and we put the world to rights! ” Dressedinshortsandat-shirt,Gaëlleads usintoakaleidoscopicstudiowherethe graffitionthewallsmingleswiththeart- workspiledupeverywhere:“ my head is bursting with images, i can work on 20 paintings at the same time. they’re so impatient to get out, they can’t wait till the last one dries. ”Inadance-like movementwhichcouldalsobeaction painting,heflitsfromoneworktothe next,jugglingwithacrylicspraycans, paintbrushes,felttipsandcharcoal.Eve- rythinghereshoutsoutflashycolours, cheerfulontheoutside,butwhich,for Gaël,alsocontainthedarkersideof emotionandcontemporarytragedy. FROM FASHION TO VANDALISM Forthisthirty-year-oldself-taughtartist, everythingbeganindoctors’waiting roomswhere,alreadyavandalinhis teens,hecoveredmagazinephotos withstreaksofblackorcolouredfelttip pen.Afterfinishingcollege,helooked forsomethingtodo…andfoundhimself “ alone in my student’s room, with no paper, no equipment, and no money, scribbling on the only medium i had, the pages of magazines. ”Then,withasarcasticandrebelliouseye, hebegansystematically“vandalising” allthefaceshefoundinglossymaga- zines,pouringonpaintlikesomany angrypunches.Asortof“streetart” butforhiseyesonly.Adstoofellvictim tohisart:hewouldputhisnameinthe placeofthebrand,andpostthewhole lotonFacebook.Acrowdofnewfriends thoughtitwasgreat.Attwenty-one Gaëlwashooked:“ maybe i couldmake a career out of this! ” Wantingtotestarathertepidvocation forfashion,hewenttoMalaysiato attendclassesinFashionandRetail Design.Theuniversityofferedhimafew oddjobs,includingassistanttothe energeticdirectoroftheMalaysian BY JEAN-PASCAL BILLAUD PHOTOGRAPHS CLAUDE WEBER 