THE DARK ROMANTICISM OF MAGDA FRANCOT

The myths and symbols inherent to Romanticism move between two poles:

Longing for nature, idealization of medieaval times, cult of sensitivity, rekindled religion, interest in the occult and magic, and an esoteric view of the world coloured by a profound melancholy

In contrast to:

The "dark side" with an emphasis on the morbid, macabre tendencies and love of death related issues including ghosts, vampires, femmes fatales, tombs and gravestones... in short all forms of cultivated decadence.

Above themes dominate my psyche and occur in abundance in my work which is based on captured images from inner experience. To visualize this inner world as clearly as possible, I must devote all of my time to my duty to perpetuate the craft and knowledge involved in painting. It is my responsibility to apply traditional values and techniques in contrast to the chaos of contemporary art.

During the experimental 1960's Magda attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. It was a time in which a number of visions and concepts gave new impulses to the language of visual expression.

Magda initially went through an experimental phase in which she created painted objects. The theories of Dubuffet motivated her to give creative therapy, which meant a treasure of experience that would later result in a turning point in her own work.

She returned to her roots in traditional painting with enriched skill and renewed respect for the medium. The works she then started to create were carefully crafted from perceptions of forms taken from history, mythology and imagination. Shadow images reflect their pattern and conjure up fantastic associations from the depths of the spiritual work of the artist. In her symbolic works she is often the model and her function is as intermediary between the inner and outer world. Her style is realistic and figurative, but mostly points to a different reality, a deeper sense of existence. She also works with surprising understatement that invite the viewer to accept the dialogue.

Illusion plays a primordial role in the oeuvre of the artist. It is the way in which she deals with the dream images that turn into a reality. The reflection of an inward spectrum, conjuring up images that come to life in her most inner being. Images that she chooses to portray in a very figurative way, which is a difficult way. Her paintings are therefore visually attractive and colourful and conjure up just that dreamworld that we all look for. What is surprising in her work are the many "self portraits". Magda herself calls this being an "intermediary", the person that stands between the artist and the composition without that person playing a very significant role

Magda Francot also teaches art. In her studio she schools children in the finer points of   line, point, corner, open and closed forms.  She has achieved astonishing results with her own teaching methodology and now teaches children to work with oils on canvas, passing on the traditional skills and enabling the children to express their imagination.