Peppered with references to the history of painting, the world of entertainment, and digital technologies, Julien Boily’s paintings unfold as an attempt to reconcile the past, present, and future. Situated within a tradition, they question the genre and contemporary meaning of still life. To achieve this, Boily generates virtual compositions whose elements are selected based on their properties to interact with their environment: light, perspective, reflection, refraction, and more. Emulated through digital tools, these attributes are then reexamined by the artist in simplified pictorial works that aim to highlight the specificities of 3D computer-generated imagery while also exploring still life as a constantly evolving genre and practice.
Julien Boily, Devant « Après-midi d’avril » de Suzor-Côté, 2024, acrylic on canva, 80 x 100 cm