Marceau Verdiere, an International Studies and IB Visual Arts teacher at Northcoast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy in Arcata, California, is a self-taught painter, born and raised in France.
“Although I am French I currently reside and work in Northern California as an Artist and educator, working usually as an Oil painter and photographer. I am at the same time always excited about trying new things. I am always an observer of all details around me.
I live in a small rural and forgotten area in Northern California called the “lost Coast”, away from the overbearing impositions of urban creations. Yet I am draw to cities for their vibrancies and offerings and I often travel to the Metropolises around the world to “get my fix” of culture, crowds and getting lost.
In my role as an artist I try to express simple ideas on the surface, allowing more complex meanings to then transpire in a visual form that will invite the viewer to react and hopefully question the interpretation I offer, or allow them to lose themselves into the suggestions I make. My inspiration is drawn from the chaotic and the unpredictable in nature and all matters created/desecrated, from painters such as Joan Miro, Paul Klee and Mark Rothko, movements from Dada to Urban Street art and most importantly from my travels around the world. I also find myself encouraged to work by the French decadent-romantic poets as well as existential philosophy. Aesthetically I am drawn to Asian Calligraphy and sensitivity. My travels there and elsewhere around the globe are always a source of stimulation and excitement towards my next works. My principal aim when painting is to escape the stresses of daily life and create a more beautiful and meaningful environment around me. It is also helping me translate what emotional reactions I have to my surroundings and allowing me to understand them. Art is the language I am using to speak to myself and to argue with myself. Furthermore, I believe that art is the main purpose of our capacity to intent.”
Listen to an interview with Marceau Verdiere with Wendy Butler on KHSU Public Radio: