Wooden Fisherman's Hut = Fanciful Artist's Studio Above The Sea

In my next life, I wouldn't mind coming back as Richard Texier, or maybe the female reincarnation of this French artist.

Click on any image to enlarge.

Ah, if I could just pick up his life as it is now, let's see ... he comes to work in shorts, and strolls out onto his own jetty off the coast of France at Aytrée, near La Rochelle. The jetty and hut are painted black and vivid Atlantic blue.

He passes through a circular gate (inspired by visits to Chinese gardens) and totes his belongings in a cart out to his 12 sq m (about 130 sq ft) fisherman's hut turned artist studio. The red bulb atop the gate is lit when Texier is 'en residence.' As seen in the photo above right, a wind screen can be angled to divert breezes and the gazes of any onlookers.

Texier throws open the doors to the elements.

The shoes come off as the artist sets out his paints and supplies and gets to the task of creating. The winds and salt spray swirl while Texier makes art – inspired by the sand, the sea, and the sky. And what wonderful art he makes! He comes here to work and think, and sometimes to sleep – either inside the hut, or outside under the stars.

Inside the small hut, every bit of space must be useful, as on a boat. A chalkboard is at the ready for sketches and notes. Texier created the bronze candlesticks just for the hut.

Texier creates mythical animal sculptures, using the lost wax process.

The galley-like kitchen with porthole windows, and an ink painting on an old nautical map.

Gallery and work space combined. Built-in storage and work bench are made of moabi wood – a dense tropical hardwood. Upholstered pieces are covered with a sail from an old tuna boat.

Texier's art is grouped in various collections, called Theoria Sacra, Instrumento, Generis, Homo Mundo, Mecanic Circus, Monumenta, Terra Munda, Hybrids, and Bionics.

Above work from the Theoria Sacra collection.

Two sculptures from the Homo Mundo collection.

A painting.

From the Theoria Sacra collection.

From the Generis collection.
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After receiving a doctorate with high honors from the Sorbonne University, Richard Texier "started a lifelong habit of nomadic stays in different regions, to paint, discover new materials, exhibit and meet different artists such as the German conceptual artist Joseph Beuys (1921-86). The ocean remains one of the pivotal themes of Texier’s artworks. His work reflects the influence of the writings of the French Surrealist artist Jean Dubuffet (1901-85), the works of the French Art Brut artist Gaston Chaissac (1910-64) and those of the French Installation artist Paul-Armand Gette (b.1927). During the 1980s, Texier liked to gather driftwood left by nature, pieces of corroded zinc, and scraps of rusty iron, which helped to inspire and sustain his work. In the 1990s, he created artwork based on early astronomical charts of the Renaissance, as well as old nautical charts."*

Texier at work in a Chelsea loft in 2002.

In 2002, Texier worked in Atelier 14, located in Chelsea. NY. "He produced an exciting body of work including a number of large-scale paintings."
"Through techniques as diverse as painting, sculpture and engraving, he has created a poetic vision of the world and shared his own universe of mutation and transformation. Numerous art exhibits, films and books have been devoted to his work in France and abroad." (Kenneth White - an outstanding figure of literature and thoughts.)**
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Richard Texier: Oeuvres Récentes runs at the Hôtel du Département de Seine Maritime, Quai Jean Moulin, Left Bank, 76100 Rouen, until Sept. 26.

*Art Knowlege News
** Art Register

Photos by Jean-Marie del Moral for The World of Interiors, Aug. 08 and from Richard Texier