Jules de Balincourt Reaching for the Light, 2022

Jules de Balincourt begins his paintings without a set plan, working intuitively through abstract forms that gradually resolve into recognisable figures – a process which he describes as ‘a dance in the dark’. As he explains, ‘my paintings begin in a purely abstract, intuitive place with no set preconceived image or idea. It literally begins as an intuitive dance of sorts, which eventually evolves into a recognisable figurative space, but is initially mined from a subconscious place. I’m interested in what happens in that crossroads where the work transforms from a purely abstract place and the decisions that are made to bring it into a figurative reality.’ Reaching for the Light (2022) marks a turning point in Balincourt’s practice. While hints of vegetation can be discerned among the undulating lines of the work, the absence of figures and spatial cues moves the painting towards unprecedentedly abstract territory. The artist’s turn away from figuration is the result of an increasingly introspective and existential approach to artmaking over the past few years. Nonetheless, his work retains the luxuriant colours and fine detail characteristic of his hand. No longer tied to a place or a particular society, Balincourt’s new work opens up a more universal and perhaps spiritual dimension.