Yesterday, happiness was played out in his paintings, today, it’s suffering. Is this a pessimistic period for this artist of life? “The artist’s optimism is still there, rest assured. Following the commemoration of the abolition of slavery, I was contacted by Bruno Jones to express myself on this theme. Because, unfortunately, slavery in all its forms still exists on all continents. Art makes it easier to understand than a long speech,” replies Patrick de Beaussier.
Indeed, when encountering the gaze of the men and women in his paintings, a certain feeling of sadness and despair overwhelms the visitor. “It’s poignant!” comments Marc Morini, the mayor of Drap. “It’s scary,” adds a woman from Drap. Yes, slavery, “this plague of man that has served other men,” is frightening. “That’s why it’s good to remember it so as not to forget and to eradicate this exploitation,” expresses Patrick de Beaussier.
Putting on an exhibition about the abolition of slavery is also a tribute to one of his ancestors: “indeed, Louis Antoine de Beaussier de Châteauvert, an admiral of a fleet, was imprisoned because he refused to transport ebony wood from Bordeaux to the Antilles. He spent years in prison; he was a sailor, not a slave trader,” explains the artist-painter.
In that era, thinkers such as Diderot or Rousseau defended this cause by putting their thoughts on paper. After many years of struggle and suffering, on April 27, 1748, all members of the French government signed the decree of abolition. In the 20th century, the prohibition of slavery gradually extended to all the states of the planet. Today, human exploitation still exists. Shrouded by prohibitions, slavery does not show itself, it hides and wounds women and men. “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains” wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his opening of the Social Contract,” quoted Marc Morini, the mayor of Drap.
Website: www.debeaussier.fr/
Myspace: www.myspace.com/patrickdebeaussier
