Frédéric Nolleau (1969)

Interview Catherine Pennec & Frédéric Nolleau – 25 September 2025

Snap shots – Instant Views of New York

16 October 2025 – 15 November 2025

 

Catherine : Frédéric, thank you for taking the time for this interview. You are a painter, photographer and graphic designer, and today you’re presenting a new exhibition in my Gallery at Clermont-Ferrand, entirely dedicated to New York. I’d like us to explore your world, your inspirations, and your very particular way of combining photography and painting.

 

Catherine : To start with, where does your passion for images come from? Was it something that began in childhood?

something that began in childhood?

Frédéric : I’ve been practising art since childhood. I tried various techniques and I still love mixing genres, blurring boundaries. That’s why I now combine oil painting and photography.

 

Catherine : You often mention your influences. If we look at films, books, or music — what really fuels your imagination?

Frédéric : Mainly American literature and cinema. The literature of the great outdoors: Jack London, Cormac McCarthy, Richard Ford, Richard Powers… And 1970s cinema: Sam Peckinpah, Michael Cimino, Martin Scorsese, Dennis Hopper. More recently: David Lynch, Paul Thomas Anderson, the Coen brothers…

 

Catherine : Travel seems to run through all your work. Why New York this time? Aren’t you afraid it might be a cliché?

Frédéric : It’s precisely because it’s a cliché that it interests me. Everyone has images of New York in mind — the Manhattan Bridge, the skyline. What I want to show is my vision of those iconic places.

 

Catherine : And when you’re behind the camera, what exactly are you looking for?

Frédéric : Like any photographer, I want an interesting composition. But I’m also thinking of the next stage in the studio. I avoid making overly “busy” images that painting wouldn’t add anything to.

 

Catherine : Let’s talk about that studio work. Your technique is very personal — how do you proceed?

Frédéric : For this exhibition, I had my photos printed on Hahnemühle Fine Art paper and on Vélin d’Arches. These are cotton-based papers, very strong yet supple. I then worked directly on them with successive layers of encaustic, oil paint (often prepared by myself with pigments, linseed oil, turpentine), glue, water, wax…

 

Catherine : You’re also a graphic designer. How do you reconcile such a digital profession with such a manual artistic practice?

Frédéric : It’s the complete opposite. Graphic design is 99% computerised. My art is totally manual and unpredictable.

 

Catherine : Your references are wide-ranging. Which photographers and painters have really influenced you?

Frédéric: In photography: Saul Leiter, Ansel Adams, Salgado, Martin Parr… In painting: Rembrandt, Turner, Klimt, Hopper, Bacon, Lucian Freud…

 

Catherine : And among filmmakers and writers, who would you most like to meet face-to-face?

Frédéric : David Lynch, without hesitation — to try and understand what goes on in his head ;-)

And Cormac McCarthy, in my eyes the greatest American novelist of our time. Sadly, he passed away in 2023, so that meeting would remain imaginary…

 

Catherine : How do you see art today? And photography, now that everyone has a smartphone?

Frédéric : I don’t claim to be an expert in contemporary art, so I don’t have a clear opinion. As for the smartphone, it’s just another tool. It all depends on how it’s used.

 

Catherine : You travel, you sell abroad, and yet you mostly exhibit in Auvergne. Why is that?

Frédéric : Mostly due to lack of time — and maybe ambition. I juggle many activities and I don’t want painting to become an obligation. The studio must remain a place of pleasure.

 

Catherine : What would you like visitors to take away from this exhibition on New York?

Frédéric : I hope they’ll travel with me and step into my world.

 

Catherine : You’ve already worked on Venice and Prague. Are there other cities you’d like to devote a series to?

Frédéric : Many! There’s no shortage of fascinating architecture. The list would be long…

 

Catherine : And New York — why does it fascinate so much?

Frédéric : Because of cinema, above all. We all have images of New York in our minds, whether we’ve been there or not.

 

Catherine : How do you know when a painting is finished?

Frédéric : That’s sometimes difficult. I have to make sure I stop at the right moment. I work in small stages and then “let it rest” for a few days before I’m certain it’s complete.

 

Catherine : And for your photos — how do you know when one is really “good”?

Frédéric : I always take photos with the intention of later transforming them through painting. But sometimes the image is too weak… or, on the contrary, it stands on its own. In that case, I show it as it is.

 

Catherine : People say you’re a fine gourmet and an excellent cook. Do you see a link with your artistic practice?

Frédéric : Yes, to me it’s the same thing. You start with an idea, mix ingredients, and try to create something pleasing to the eye and enjoyable to share.

 

Catherine : And if you had to choose between art and cooking?

Frédéric : Cooking, because one has to eat ;-) But the two complement each other. Spending all my time in the studio would eventually wear me out.

 

Catherine : Thank you, Frédéric, for this insightful and genuine conversation. I warmly invite the public to discover your work at the exhibition and to let themselves be carried away by your unique vision of New York.