Painter David Simonetta explores the world of the suburbs
Writer, columnist for La Croix
Published on
Jean de Saint-Cheron in the courtyard of the Catholic Institute of Paris, December 15, 2022. Aleister Denni
After his stroll through the David Simonetta painting exhibition (1), Jean de Saint-Cheron invites us in his column to a meditative contemplation around one of the paintings; the Book of the World. A canvas which, like the rest of the exhibition, explores the too often forgotten world of the suburbs.
It's a night scene. At first, I thought it was a gigantic bumper car track. At the edge of the stand, the showman stands straight, looking half-relaxed, half-focused, his left hand in his pocket, his right holding a microphone. He's galvanizing the amateur drivers as best he can. Beside him, two women, arms crossed or fists on their hips, are watching him. In the purple and red neon light, the circular movement of what's happening on the track contrasts with the three static spectators standing on the night side, on the edge of the world of fun, but on the wrong side of the border. After a few seconds, I try to better immerse myself in the scene by looking more calmly at its main components, then at its details.
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