Vincent Bioulès's Screens: Between Abstraction and Figuration

Vincent Bioulès, born in 1938 in Montpellier, presents recent paintings in two simultaneous Paris exhibitions at Galerie Bernard Ceysson (June 2–July 24) and Galerie Vieille du Temple (June 3–July 10). The works explore a dual practice that never abandoned figuration even during his abstract period with Supports/Surfaces. Bioulès's landscapes—of Nîmes, Montpellier, Méaulx, and the Canigou—are described as 'screens,' referencing psychoanalytic screen memories that mask deeper recollections. The paintings emphasize light, verticality, and spatial discontinuity, resisting easy interpretation. Art historian Pierre Wat, author of 'Turner, menteur magnifique' (Hazan, 2010), examines Bioulès's career, arguing the artist never 'returned' to figuration but rather integrated abstract lessons into a lifelong engagement with motif. The series 'Places d'Aix' (1975) exemplifies this synthesis. Recent works, including 'L'Escalier de Méaulx' and 'Grande Allée,' confront viewers with a fragmented, memory-laden vision where precision serves fiction. Bioulès states his goal is 'to show what I see' despite its elusiveness. The exhibition marks a reconciliation with childhood landscapes and an acceptance of painting's limits.