East and West art exhibit

Works of Dr. Serge Raynaud de la Ferrière

 

As an “incomparable painter” (as stated by Claire Duda, Director of the Renoir Municipal Gallery, Nice, France) and tireless traveler, the artist, writer and scientist Dr. Serge Raynaud de la Ferrière traveled the 5 continents for many years. The artist and thinker Serge Raynaud de la Ferrière had the peculiarity of reflecting in his works, the styles of the places where he painted each piece. His high-level knowing, in addition to his profound knowledge of the diverse cultures, allowed him to penetrate into the sacred symbols of the East and the West, synthesizing them into his works and offering to the public a synthesis of the ancient teachings in a contemporary tone, adequate to the demands of the present and future.

 

East and west are not only geographical spaces but they are also ways of seeing and conceiving the world in which we live. They represent two sides of the same coin, each one with its own anthropological and socio-cultural particularities in addition to their psychological contrasts. De la Ferrière presents the East and West in his works as we traditionally conceive them however he breaks through the rigorous patterns that we have, opening perspectives towards a different vision, representing as well the union of the past and the future, of antiquity and present, of the present with a vision of the future.

 

The artist framed his works in different styles, depending on the environment in which he found himself in during the creation of each piece, giving way to a great variety of styles and forms.

 

With reference to his Eastern style pieces, Dr, David Ferriz Olivares observes, “From his paintings let us say, in regards to his Eastern works, that his creations touch upon multiple concepts with rich sensitivity, having all ideograms within the painting harmonize with one another and having the image itself as a new reality by its very existence, where every shape, colour stain and line can be distinguished, standing out from the background, contrasting with other forms, colours stains and lines. This allows us to see, sometimes in an imperceptible way, symbols and meanings of a secret revelation [...].” *

 

With reference to his works framed in the Western style, Dr. Ferriz Olivares highlights, “In order to shift his Western paintings we must follow the way and course of plastic arts which he himself mentions in Art in the New Era. In his plastic works there are very special esoteric transmissions of revelations of mysteries, for example in the rich symbolism [...] the unknown person, the anonymous one and the saint found in the Olfatics painting. As well in The Circus, but it would be better to let his works be seen, penetrating the allusion that he has placed in some of them.” *

 

His art takes us to the future and invites us to look towards the American continent, the west of Europe, with its ancient cultures which he studied with much interest. Dr. Ferriz Olivares considers this proposal, within the artist's lens, “[...] the first task to complete is to inform ourselves, so that Art [...] can be established with an open perspective. The art of the great ancient cultures of America, the imposing architecture of the Cuzco region (Peru), the Mayan temple in Yucatan (Mexico), the wisdom of the Inca statesmen, the hydraulic systems of the colossal Incan engineering, in addition to the incomparable Pre-Venezuelan ceramics of the millenary Camay, show a largely elaborate maturity and wisdom in that which has yet to be surpassed. ***

 

The artist in his written works unites opposites in order to shape something new and unique based on understanding.

 

Also, it does not exist a dualism between the artist de la Ferrière and his works, which brings in itself is a message; a teaching to be realized. As indicated by the epistemologist of America, Dr. David Ferriz Olivares, being the one who studied and promoted the work of Dr. de la Ferrière the most, “although for some aesthetic artists, the biographic and psychological sources of the artists remain eliminated from the universe of their artistic work, in the case of Maester Dr. de la Ferrière his art is intimately impregnated by the message of his living teachings, enriching the mission of artists, the path of realization of mankind [...].***

 

Thus, as the artist explains: 

“[...] what is important is not to present masterpieces; it is not my intent to present my best works, but rather follow the process of the principal idea that has always concerned me, namely, I show, from the very same artist, a variety of produced works in different moods [...].**

 

It is important to note that his message requires a deeper study, as he speaks to the general public as well as to artists in terms of their role as facilitators for people's self-elevation.

 

With respect to people's self-realization, de la Ferrière comments, “[...] I shall penetrate into some of the mysteries of the ancient Sacred Doctrine, but in light of the New Era we must resume the legacies of Ancient Wisdom with the purpose of establishing upon new foundations (or as well it could be over the same foundations as before, but adapted to a new way of existence) the application of knowledge that for a long time was only given to the privileged [...].**

 

A selection of Dr. Serge Raynaud de la Ferrière's works will be on display at the East and West exhibit in June 2016 in Nice and Trieste, in honour of the one-hundredth birthday of this sublime artist.

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* Dr. David Juan Ferriz Olivares: El Retiro del Maestre Dr. Serge Raynaud de la Ferrière (El Retirment of the Maester Dr. Serge Raynaud de la Ferrière), p. 337, Editorial Diana, Mexico 1985.

 

** Dr. Serge Raynaud de la Ferrière: El Arte en la Nueva Era (Art in the New Era), Introduction, Editorial Diana, Mexico 1980.

 

*** Dr. David Juan Ferriz Olivares: Prologue to El Arte en la Nueva Era (Art in the New Era), by Dr. Serge Raynaud de la Ferrière, Editorial Diana, Mexico 1980.