Curriculum vitae pour un tombeau

Les cabinets de recrutement sont formels : un bon curriculum vitae, ça doit se lire d’un seul coup d’œil. Ce sont quelques mots-clés et un bon visuel. Pas besoin de se noyer dans les détails. Il faut résumer une vie à l’essentiel. D’ailleurs, avec un peu d’entraînement, l’existence se résume très aisément.C’est dans cet état d’esprit que j’ai commencé cette série de portraits inspirés par l’idée du curriculum vitae. Il s’agit de témoigner du genre d’hommes et de femmes que j’ai pu rencontrer dans ma vie. Il n’est pas question de personnes réelles, mais de caractères, de personnages inspirés de mon expérience, comme pourraient l’être des personnages de romans. Certains CV peuvent faire sourire, voire rire, mais le fond de ma démarche n’est pas de faire de l’humour ni de dénigrer ces semblables auxquels je ressemble tant. C’est plus grave : j’ai envie de faire sentir en quoi consistent réellement des vies tout entières.Cette série compte actuellement un peu plus de cent cinquante peintures. Elles ont fait l’objet de deux publications. En outre, j’ai consacré un roman au récit de leur genèse.

English version

Curriculum vitae for a tomb

Recruiting firms are very clear about this: it must be possible to read a good curriculum vitae with a single glance. A few keywords and good visual design. There is no need to drown in details. A life must be reduced to the essential. In fact, with a bit of practice one’s existence can be summarised very easily.This was my state of mind when I began this series of portraits inspired by the idea of a curriculum vitae. It consists of describing the kind of men and women that I have met during my life. It is not a question of real people but of characters, persons inspired by myexperience, like characters in novels. Certain CVs might draw a smile or even a laugh, but my approach is not based on being funny or denigrating these fellow humans that I resemble so much. It is more serious than this: I want to make felt what entire lives really consist of.The series currently runs to a little more than 150 paintings. They are the subject of two publications. I also wrote a novel describing how they came about. Curriculum vitae for a tombRecruiting firms are very clear about this: it must be possible to read a good curriculum vitae with a single glance. A few keywords and good visual design. There is no need to drown in details. A life must be reduced to the essential. In fact, with a bit of practice one’s existence can be summarised very easily.This was my state of mind when I began this series of portraits inspired by the idea of a curriculum vitae. It consists of describing the kind of men and women that I have met during my life. It is not a question of real people but of characters, persons inspired by myexperience, like characters in novels. Certain CVs might draw a smile or even a laugh, but my approach is not based on being funny or denigrating these fellow humans that I resemble so much. It is more serious than this: I want to make felt what entire lives really consist of.The series currently runs to a little more than 150 paintings. They are the subject of two publications. I also wrote a novel describing how they came about.