Hugo Pondz : Into the Blue horizon

Tell us how you started painting.

I began painting quite late in life. That said, my father was an antique dealer so I was always surrounded by art. My mother painted small  country landscapes – unpretentious and discreet, just for her own pleasure.

One day, I remember helping myself to her paint kit and simply doing what I could. I ended up briskly mixing the paint and coarsely spreading it across the canvas; there was no recognisable technique. I was 16 years old at the time and this (one and only) attempt was a catastrophe!

What or who are your artistic influences and sources of inspiration?

I actually only returned to painting at around the age of 28 upon meeting Jean-Pierre Hubert. He showed me old-fashioned painting techniques, such as applying light glazes, and he taught me about the chemistry of colours and introduced me to Surrealism. It was then that I discovered the world of De Chirico, which left a mark on me.

This melancholic universe was populated by emptiness, architecture and shadows, which later inspired Edward Hopper. 

Describe your creative process.

I usually start with a character I have seen in a certain posture, then I try to find the setting and atmosphere that best suits my vision. It pleases me to depict individuals in my work and give them another life in my paintings. My partner, Aline, who also signs my paintings, is pictured below. She was looking at the sea in Dinard.

Current events and history can also inspire my creative process. I’m currently working on a painting titled The First Key which is focused on the World Trade Center. For me, golf courses are also vast spaces of exploration. There, all of the De Chirican heritage is present but expressed in another form.

What does the recurring character perched on a ledge facing the horizon symbolise in your work?

The wall was part of a series, but if you look at the golf course series, you can see that it’s disappearing. I can’t give you any psychoanalysis behind what this wall represents and what’s more, I’d prefer to leave it to the individual to find a meaning of their own. The same is true for the character, who is not always turned towards the horizon…

I often question myself about a lot of things and it could be that this character is the best representation of said questioning.