CULTURE

Roland Ruscart's "Old boats" in the House of Brittany

Holiday season creates more opportunities than usual for wandering and exploring in quest of quiet and deserted places. All too often we are surprised to discover deserted houses, neglected village cemeteries or ruins of castles and manors in the vicinity of big cities or lively resorts. In such places the histories of past days sink into oblivion.

Roland Ruscart was born in Condé-sur- Escaut in the north of France. Since early childhood his artistic personality has been shaped by wild, untamed nature of his native region.

Sensitive and artistically gifted, the son of a Flemish woman and a Walloon showed, as he admitted himself, little interest in studying. At the age of fourteen be became a student of the School of Fine Arts in Valen- ciennes (painting sec- tion). Two years later he studied at the State School of Fine Arts in Paris. Being primarily a painter and a recognised artist, he surprised people by taking up other forms of art. In 1968 he became interested in sculpture then in graphic arts, which he decided to study under Prof. Delpech. This versatile artist has created oil paintings, water colours and prints on a multitude of diverse themes ranging from portraits and landscapes to still life. Critics un- animously emphasise that all his works are linked by a poetic air of nostalgia, a fascination with all that is transient and fleeting and an attempt to catch a particular moment.

The exhibition "Brittany - old boats", housed in the House of Brittany, presents outlines of boats and frigates dilapidated by the passage of time. The artist portrays them on monochromatic surfaces of paper with respect but without any special emphasis. Although Ruscart’s artistic creativity sends shock waves through the audience at first, it also triggers quiet reflections on the nature of life and the ability to find beauty in the declining years. The magic of boats sealed with the stamp of old age resembles the physiognomy of the elderly, whose faces wrinkled with experience are hiding exciting secrets that nobody will be doomed to uncover.

I believe that the driving force behind Roland Ruscart's artistic creativity lies in his admirable ability to maintain distance from his theme, thus leaving the viewer some space for individual reflection.

Roland Ruscart is a member of many artistic associations, including the acclaimed Salon of the Independent and the Association of French Artists. He has participated in numerous exhibitions having been awarded prizes and honourable mentions. One of the most prestigious awards is Leon Georges Baudra Award, which he received in 1997 as a life-time achievement.

Joanna Dziubkowa