Xavier Bisbe

For more than 20 years, I have been painting on reclaimed wood from rural settings, taken from ruined farmhouses whose floors were made of wood. Once the roofs deteriorate, the boards, shaped by the passage of time, develop forms that I find particularly appealing and that provide a wonderful surface to paint on.

To overcome the practical issues associated with wood, particularly its weight and woodworm, my artistic research has led me to a natural development: painting the old wood as a background on canvas, then painting the subject over it.

This approach creates a distinctive originality and allows me to explore any subject within the same exhibition, with all the works connected by the old-wood background.

A painting made on an actual piece of wood clearly looks very different from a painted representation of wood on canvas. However, this technique also offers several advantages:

• Canvas does not need to be treated against wood-boring insects and does not shed dust.
• There is no need to stain the wood: I can paint it any colour I choose.
• I can paint wood in any size or shape, without being limited by the dimensions of the reclaimed pieces.
• Canvas is much lighter and can be transported rolled up.
• A piece of wood displayed on a stone wall can blend in too much. It stands out better against a white wall; when the wood is painted on canvas, the canvas itself acts as a frame, visually separating it from the stone wall.
• Painting the wood realistically adds value to the artwork.

Without ever abandoning realism, I continue to explore new approaches within this same line of work to achieve new effects. Lately, I have been painting food-related subjects, a theme I particularly enjoy.