“The more I paint, the more I discover…”
Paul Zimmerman in conversation with Serge Gauya
Paul Zimmerman: How did you develop interest in art?
Serge Gauya: From an early age, I was always drawn to the artistic field, I drew whenever I had the time and from the age of 4 I started to learn the piano at the conservatory.
PZ: You are a professional musician. How does it influence your art?
SG: I think that all artistic disciplines are complementary because they are linked to the feelings and emotions that we want to share. Thanks to my profession as a musician I had the chance to visit many countries and different cultures allow me to soak up colors, landscapes and certainly that inspires me when I paint.
PZ: How do you create your work?
SG: Often before starting a painting, I don’t know what I’m going to do, but it’s the emotions, the colors, the moment that will determine the theme and the work.
PZ: Do you have any particular goal in mind when your start a new piece?
SG: When I create a work, I want the painting or sculpture to attest to the present moment of creation and that it can convey to the person who will see it this feeling that I have at the time of creation
PZ: How do you know when the work is finished?
SG: This feeling comes to me when I think that I have nothing more to add to the work or that if I added one element it would be too much.
PZ: Has your practice changed over time?
SG: The more I paint, the more I discover. Certain things evolve and fortunately because it is this feeling that make me move forward in my art.
PZ: Which artists are you most influenced by?
SG: I wasn’t really influenced by a single artist; my parents are art lovers, I have been lucky since my childhood to have been able to discover very different styles. For my part, I have always loved comics as well as cartoon manga. So I could say that my artistic tastes are very heterogeneous and varied and it is certainly felt in my paintings.
PZ: How would you define art?
SG: Art is for me one of the best ways to convey feelings and emotions. In my opinion, a work should have the ability to bring about a reflection, a feeling or an emotion.
PZ: What are you working on now?
SG: Currently, I am working on a sculpture “The Blue Dog©” in resin. I created this little dog on canvas in 2017 and I am very happy to be able to bring it to life in 3 dimensions
PZ: How does the pandemic influence your work and sensibility?
SG: First of all, I think this pandemic has allowed the public to show how essential art is in our lives. When galleries, museums, theaters and concert halls are closed, people have realized the place art occupies in our lives. For my part, this period when I was unable to travel for my exhibitions and concerts, allowed me to work in my studio and prepare paintings and sculptures for my future exhibitions.