‘Paris’ by Marc-Antoine Coulon, the new arty book everyone is talking about
Recognizable by his unique style and precise lines, Marc-Antoine Coulon works for the biggest names in haute couture and international press. After his Nude ink with Jacques Herbin last month, the star illustrator is launching ‘Paris’ today, his book of illustrations, in partnership with Éditions Flammarion.
In this glamorous and evocative work – the first dedicated to his oeuvre – Marc-Antoine Coulon celebrates fashion, the spirit, and the chic of Paris. Like an irreverent and colorful stroll, we discover throughout the pages portraits of famous personalities, others more personal, as well as sketches of fashion shows and beloved Parisian places. With a few brushstrokes, he captures their essence in a very elegant way, reflecting his sensitive and insolent touch… A meeting with this genius artist who will exhibit his works from October 23rd at Pierre Passebon’s, at Galerie Vero-Dodat.
You have just released ‘Paris,’ a new book that presents a synthesis of your work. Who is it aimed at?
M-AC: “To everyone! If art can be studied, it can also be appreciated even if one knows nothing about it. In this book, the only real text is the sublime preface by Inès de la Fressange. I wanted to offer a visual stroll through my Paris, featuring well-known or more secret places, portraits of Parisian icons or unknown individuals, and fashion… I’ve scattered my little white pebbles, offered paths for the reader to imagine their own story. It’s always very important for me to leave room for the reader, as if welcoming them into my home.”
An oeuvre, collaborations with the biggest press titles, the world of entertainment and fashion… But where do you draw all these inspirations from?
M-AC: “A bit everywhere, to be honest. I draw all the time and I’m always looking for new avenues, in the street, in the music I hear, in the cracks on the walls… Frustration is also a good driving force. We’re rarely completely satisfied with what we create. So we create more to reduce frustration. This virtuous circle is often very productive.”
In an age of constant sharing on social media, why the desire to publish a book ?
M-AC: “These are two completely different things. Social media provides us with immediately available, abundant information, but it’s also quite cold and dematerialized. A book is a sensual, physical experience, a presence. I love breathing in the smell of paper, feeling the texture of the pages under my fingers. My apartment is filled with books without which I wouldn’t know how to grow old… The time spent with a book doesn’t hold the same value as time spent on social media.”
Are you a lover of Paris?
M-AC: How can you not be in love with Paris? I never tire of the city’s varied beauty. There’s a different atmosphere around every corner. I love strolling through bookshops, seeing exhibitions, meeting friends on the terrace… This is a city of the present. The past and the future come together here, and there’s always something going on! And you’ll find what you bring with you.
What’s your favorite part of Paris?
M-AC: I’d say it’s more of a route, between Place du Châtelet and Place Saint Michel, or up Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
Are there any places that particularly inspire you?
M-AC: The Seine, inevitably. I love its reflections at night, its bridges and quays. I also love the maze of streets around Place Saint-André des Arts: it’s so easy to get lost!
And apart from drawing, what are your other passions?
M-AC: Music. I almost always work with music. I buy a lot of music too. For several years I played the violin, but unfortunately I no longer have the time to practice.
Your new year 2019 has therefore been marked by the release of your ink in collaboration with Jacques Herbin, but also your book. What are your future projects for 2020?
M-A Coulon : At the end of the month, I’ll be launching the book in New York and starting a collaboration with Pellegrino, which we’ll be announcing at Bergdorf Goodman. There will also be the Piste de la francophonie on TV5 monde, for which I designed the logo and illustrated all the destinations. The rest is still a secret, but there will be Italy, and an exciting summer on the Côte d’Azur…
Paris’ by Marc-Antoine Coulon, Éditions Flammarion, €50. Available in bookshops and at FNAC.
