Charles GIULIOLI

Right from the start, Charles GIULIOLI (born in 1953) has followed unusual tracks. He graduated in engeneering and physics at the Ecole Centrale, one of the most prestigious schools in France. He then turned to painting at the age of 25. He has made a living out of his art ever since.
Later, as he was already a renowned artist, this appetite for change led him to venture in the field of digital art. But far from diverting him from painting, this new practice deepened his understanding of the painting medium. As he states:
“ In a painting, each sign refers to the moment when it was drawn, a particular experience in life. The act of painting requires gestures, pace, an deep involvement of the body as well as the mind. The picture is the result of a long dialog between idea and matter.
On the opposite, the computers creates many pictures in no time but the screen keeps a distance between the work and the artist. Nevertheless, digital art opens up a poetry of its own: it is made of playing with rules and randomness. I work on the software, far up-stream from the image with an abstract language. The picture itself is never achieved since it keeps evolving. I have called the program “L’Oeuvre sans fin” ( work with no end ).”

Why did he come to digital art?
Listen to what he says:
“I came across the computer as I was questioning the rating of painting: what makes an artist’s “special touch”? We can see that all the works of one artist have something in common that can identify the artist. Would’nt it mean that there is a gimmick? Is a new piece more than a repetition of habits accumulated along the years?
And what is the part of chance in creation? Can we tell creation and genius from mere random action?
I decided to start with my own work and began to analyse my process in the last few years. I came up with a procedure. By following this procedure, a machine could produce pictures very similar to my own work. I have developped a program to do so with a computer. In addition, in order to mimick my creativity, I introduced a part of chance ( the “random function” ) in the program.
When the program started to run on its own, I had a very good surprise: the machine happened to produce unexpected and fascinating pictures. And viewers could hardly believe that the images were the result of mere chance. From that moment, I forgot the idea of copying my former paintings and little by little kept modifying the program to create more interesting and definitely digital pictures.”

Charles Giulioli’s work is unique as a tecnical process of course, but also in the way he mixes the randomness of mind and machine. He knows how to intertwine natural patterns with moving characters, geometrical shapes and mathemetical scripts. I like this work very much; it makes us enter a new poetic universe allying the strong personnality and trade-mark of an artist along with the invitation to wander freely at our own pace, creating our own universe.
Henri MinartImportant: each “digital print” ( usually called “Giclée print” in the U.S. ) is unique ( only one print of each picture ). It is guarantied by a certificate of authenticity.