In the summer of 2012, Galerie du Centre in Paris presented the group exhibition On Both Sides of the Channel, conceived by Alain Matarasso as a dialogue between diverse European artistic sensibilities. True to the spirit of openness that had long characterized the gallery’s program, the exhibition brought together French and British artists whose works reflected the richness and diversity of contemporary artistic practices.

For this exhibition, Alain Matarasso chose to present a selection of GRATALOUP’s mixed-media works on paper, revealing a more intimate yet essential aspect of his artistic practice. Created on large-format sheets, these works demonstrate the freedom of experimentation that lies at the heart of the artist’s creative process. Combining watercolor, acrylic, sand, brass, and a variety of mixed-media techniques, GRATALOUP developed richly textured compositions in which material itself becomes an expressive language.

Far from being preparatory sketches, these works on paper possess a remarkable autonomy and visual power. They offer a privileged space for exploring the signs, forms, and symbolic structures that run throughout the artist’s oeuvre. The apparent fragility of the paper contrasts with the density of the materials employed, creating a subtle dialogue between delicacy and permanence.

Through these compositions, GRATALOUP continues his exploration of the relationships between humanity, nature, and the invisible forces that shape the world. Mineral textures, metallic reflections, and luminous washes of color interact to create spaces in which reality gradually transforms into inner vision. The works reveal the same poetic and symbolic concerns that characterize his paintings, while benefiting from the spontaneity and immediacy offered by the paper medium.

The presentation of these works within On Both Sides of the Channel also reflects the longstanding relationship between GRATALOUP and Alain Matarasso. By choosing to exhibit these mixed-media works on paper, the gallerist highlighted one of the most inventive and experimental dimensions of the artist’s practice, where freedom of gesture is combined with a profound investigation of matter, light, and symbolism.

The exhibition thus offered visitors an opportunity to discover another facet of GRATALOUP’s artistic universe, one in which paper becomes the support for a poetic exploration of material, imagination, and the invisible connections that unite humanity and the cosmos.