Growths of the Earth: Louis Fratino at Ciaccia Levi, Paris

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The first time I saw any work by Louis Fratino was nearly four years ago, when Antoine Lévi was showing some at Paris Internationale, the 'emerging art fair' that usually takes place at the same time as the 'posher' FIAC. I've often regretted I didn't buy the little Man on a Swing that caught my eye at the time.

The one that got away:
Man on a Swing
Since then, I've visited Antoine Lévi's other exhibitions of Fratino's work, and bought a couple of pastel drawings. His pastels, paintings, drawings and even ceramics often visibly feature scenes from gay life, including explicitly sexual ones, but they are generally quiet and domestic in tone, a restful change from aggressive, hectoring, 'Spartist' contemporary art. You never get the feeling you're being beaten into submission with insistent identity politics.

Today I went to see Growths of the Earth, Fratino's latest solo show at what's now Ciaccia Levi Paris. It was interesting to see him maturing into bigger formats with an even more confident line or stroke than before, still in the same distinctive, colourful, angst-free style hinting back to art déco and mid-century Italy, and especially interesting to see him reviving flower painting, not something you expect to see much of in leading-edge galleries these days. Not surprisingly, as nature basically gives me the pip, I liked the birds and landscapes less: if we must have nature, let's have it morte.

This is a direct link to Aurélien Mole's professional photos of Growths of the Earth on Ciaccia Levi Paris's website.

And this is a link to Louis Fratino's artist's page on the same site.

The photos below, like the one at the top of this post, are mine.











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