Claude Gauthier

The work in short

When you look at Claude Gauthier's work, the quintessential question, "What is art" may come to mind. This is because Gauthier's art does not fit in or conform to a static definition of the term. That is, he does not rely on conventional subjects or compositions in order to send his message to the masses. His art not only questions the categorizations that history has imposed onto the discipline, it also turns the natural order of society on its head. His works are neither portraits, still lives, nor landscapes, yet people, beasts and nature are present in almost each and every one of his canvases. Animals, toys, and humans are not only the main subject of his paintings, but often coexist together, devoid of the natural hierarchies that separate the animal and human realms or the barriers which divide fantasy and reality. In Gauthier's world, cats and fish coexist in peace, toys inhabit their own world exempt from human influence, and men befriend wolves. The law and order of art and society are overturned and reconstructed to fit the artist's ideals, ones where imagination, creativity, respect, and fraternity are king. For Gauthier, there is no limit to human inspiration or compassion.