“White and Black” is the exhibition of Amanda Lear’s paintings at the Artemisia gallery in Monte Carlo. Until December 28, 2006, it is possible to discover her canvases revealing a darker side of the star.
Amanda Lear is not in Monaco to promote a new disco album but to unveil the paintings she has been creating for years. She has put on her diamond-studded shoes and celebrity smile for the occasion. “People will be surprised to discover this aspect of my personality. Painting is, however, my first passion. I am more of a painter who sings than the other way around.”
Over drugs or alcohol, Amanda prefers therapy through painting. It allows her to express what she feels. The result is astonishing: aggressive paintings with dark colors such as red and black. “I am like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: I have my public persona which is rather goofy and has nothing to do with the painter. This persona is more intimate, more vulnerable. There is often a conflict between the two.”
Like any self-respecting artist, Amanda Lear draws her inspiration from her moods. “What shocks me today is the tragic world we live in. I draw inspiration from the tragedy I see every day on TV to paint…” Indeed, from her cozy workshop in St Rรฉmy de Provence, the rest of the world must seem quite harsh. She thinks she can never leave this Provence in order to continue painting its landscapes. The very same ones that inspired the greatest: Van Gogh, Cรฉzanne, the Fauves.
New York, Rome, Berlin… Amanda Lear exhibits everywhere. “The hardest thing is to see your babies leave under the arms of strangers.” At $10,000 per canvas, there is plenty of room for consolation. “According to Dali, the trauma of separation can only be remedied with checks adorned with multiple zeros.” Dali here, Salvador there, Amanda doesn’t seem to have severed the cord with the one who was her mentor for 15 years. “Dali took me everywhere with him, and since he knew the entire world, I met the greatest personalities of the time.” The nostalgia for the golden years remains palpable.
