INTERVIEW with J.griMo
Carmela Loiacono talks with J.griMo who takes part in the International Art Exhibition CREACTION in Matera, at cultural hypogeum Lega Navale Italiana Matera-Magna Grecia.

Carmela Loiacono – Please introduce yourself and talk about the selected artworks: “Mitsy” and “Yes I Can” you presented during the exhibition CREACTION. 
J.griMo – My scientific background allowed me to live and travel all over the world before settling down at the end of the 90’s in southeast of France where, a few years later, I began a career as a painter.
I experimented different technics following various sources of inspiration. MITSY and YES I CAN are two examples of my very last form of expression explicitly moved towards lyrical abstraction: the purpose is no longer to transcribe an emotion inspired by visual elements, but states of mind felt half awaken, half asleep. About these two works, I was very pleased before sending them to Matera, to present them in the Paris « Grand Palais » at Art Capital’s exhibition.

Carmela Loiacono – How would you describe your creative process? What or who influenced or is influencing your work?
J.griMo – For me the beginning of the process always starts from a gaze or a dream that goes all the way down to the inner vibe. It has then to reach the hand to structure the artistic composition on my mind. Sometimes I go through a kind of destruction/reconstruction scheme in which I shred old works (an intensely liberating as well as exhilarating gesture) producing fragments that reveal unsuspected qualities which were drowned in the mass. I strategically paste them on the medium and convene my sensitivity and my imagination to create a new living environment. This is the way how my vision can be translated as honestly as possible to be eventually shared.
When you live in Provence, the presence of many illustrious artists, fascinated by the special light of this area, is still alive: Van Gogh and Cezanne of course, but also Picasso, de Stael, Vasarely… and among today’s painters, Fabienne Verdier and Alechinsky. All of them influenced my painting at different levels. After scrutinizing their works, it became clear in my mind that what attracted me the most was composition, colors, contrast and rhythm.

Carmela Loiacono – What do you think about shared art on social media? Could it be an alternative way of communicating contemporary art?
J.griMo – Nowadays it seems to be compulsory to use social media to spotlight any kind of art. I am not the last one trying to use this way to promote some event or work of mine. But I reckon that, more that an alternative, it must be seen as an additional way of sharing art in so far as watching pictures or videos will never replace the physical confrontation and the experience of immersion. However, it remains such an easy way for millions of people to get in touch with this universe…

Carmela Loiacono – What are your future goals and/or projects?
J.griMo  – I recently opened my own Atelier in Maussane les Alpilles, the place where I live, and it is an amazing but monopolizing experience. In that way my projects for the coming months are very simple: to attract many visitors while keeping enough time for me to paint… let’s talk about this subject some time later again!