Born in 1988 in Le Port, Charles Prime reconstructs moments experienced in the mountains, forests, by the sea, wherever his gaze falls on nature.
'I discover spectacular or intimate places, welcoming or austere. Memorable places, in any case, where I experience something unique, either alone or with others. This encounter between a place and an event produces an emotion and a memory that I then try to reclaim and faithfully transcribe through painting.'
The initial almost hyperrealistic impression of Charles' compositions works like a trap.
As he himself points out:
'I consider myself more of a realist, in the sense that I intend to bear witness to our time. That is why the scenes I present are plausible.
At first glance, they seem believable.
But be careful, a closer, more attentive look reveals dissonant details, colors, shapes, and brushstrokes that unveil an unreal and enchanted world.
That world, beyond the retinal, is more consistent with my feelings.'
Charles reconstructs these scenes without compromise.
He uses irony and a hint of cynicism to comment on the flaws of our time.
His work highlights the contradiction between the desire to preserve 'nature' and a daily lifestyle largely responsible for its destruction.
Recently, Charles has even pushed the irony to playful humor in a series of small formats titled 'Our Daily Gestures.'
In his compositions, the characters are most often discreet, as if engulfed by the surrounding elements.
The vegetation, animals, mountains, rivers, and sky have their own existence, presence, and intentionality.
In this sense, Charles Prime's work aligns with the philosophy of thinkers such as Philippe Descola and Vinciane Despret, to whom he frequently refers.
'Nature' does not exist to please us.
Charles offers us his vision of it.