OUTRUN ACCELERATION

Timothée Boubay’s roots in spray art developed into the mastery of a digital airbrush style. Using a precise geometrical approach, the French artist’s works take us to sci-fi fantasy worlds that explicate his abstract themes. In his take on Future Forecasting, Timothée accompanies his materialized visions with an explication of his formative influences.

What is the main storyline of your work and how can people approach it?

I navigate between different stories often linked to a surreal science fiction universe. Currently, my work is largely based on two central axes. One is a rather abstract representation of my themes, the other a figurative line that binds one or more objects together. What I notice is that this line can be broken in order to offer a more personal reading.

 You often represent unknown planets, flora and fauna. Are your visuals inspired by science fiction or fantasy worlds?

Currently, my main inspirations come from late 20th century visual literature, contemplative cinema and experimental electronic music. I particularly like complex universes. I often work in a dreamlike universe, which incites curiosity with a graphic reflection.

Movie Poster for Una Montaña Después

Poster for KALT Club

Your works often use a surrealist visual style and a warm color palette as a connecting element. How would you describe your style, and where does it come from?

I describe my current work as the digital descendant of airbrush. We can talk about “Airbrush Digital”. The impetus for this style came the day I came across the work of Hans Ruedi Giger in his museum in Gruyère (Switzerland). His work had such an impact on my artistic vision that I took an intensive interest in this characteristic “airbrush“ style.

Poster for Nuances Festival

You often use the symbol of an egg. Does it have a greater meaning in your art, or is it just one of the many symbolic attributes that can be found in your images? And are there any other symbols that you find appealing to your visual style?

It is true that the egg is a recurring symbol in my work. It has a symbolic charge that I find very interesting. It holds a mysterious aura with the idea that it has something that can or cannot be seen inside. It may contain life, or perhaps emptiness. It is also on this notion of emptiness that my work is often based, concentrating on a subject rather than having a Dantesque fresco. I like the idea that the voids make the composition breathe, that they make the solids more alive, in a way.

Artwork for All India Radio

Surreal memorial

Our current theme is “Towards Terra”, focusing on utopian and dystopian futures. So, what would the future look like if you had the power to control it? Would it be similar to one of your visuals, or would you imagine it completely different?

If I had to dream of the future as a human being, I would, of course, make it more utopian. But having control over it would make it dystopian. What I would like to be able to control in the future is the acceleration of technological advances beneficial to the environment and space research to discover new galaxies. And who knows how to physically create works that we can only imagine?

Poster for Basscouture

Finally, are you currently preparing a new exhibition or a new project that we can expect?

I have a year rich in projects thanks to the many works that I am asked to create. This will be an opportunity to deepen my research and explore my graphic identity which, I hope, will lead me to beautiful things.

Artwork for Letherique

Artwork for SWARM MAG, Towards Terra theme

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Bio

Timothée Boubay (b. 1994, Castelnaudary, FR) is a French digital artist currently living and working in Strasbourg, France. After more than 10 years of sketching and spraying, he started to combine his skills and techniques in the computer world with a style approaching the airbrush.

Throughout his work, Timothée Boubay navigates within a complex universe of sci-fi themes that mixes abstract and figurative objects for each piece. An exploration of the digital medium which reveals a certain idea of void and emptiness but where a certain alien-like life form also resides unknowingly. 

Inspired by the aesthetics of the retro-futuristic scene of the 80’s, contemplative cinema and experimental electronic music, this graphical experience makes new landscapes appear with a creepage: a call to explore furthermore, so does the artist. Then, Timothée Boubay’s illustrations balance a warm grainy palette with the coldness of hazy hybrids made by a dark energy.

Credits

Artwork / Timothée Boubay @timothee_boubay

Interview / Markéta Kosinová

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