Paradigm Shift: Paintings, sculpture and film by Jacques Le Breton

The artist Jacques Le Breton was born in Jersey and went on to receive a First Class Honours Degree in Illustration and Visual Communication from Westminster University in 2015.

This is Jacques Le Breton’s second exhibition at Private & Public Gallery and accompanying him is all the mythical, magical and mysterious splendour of the contemporary conspiratorial dreamscape that is populated by aliens, UFO’s, Bigfoot and Donald Trump.

This body of work is a psychedelic culmination of themes explored over a period of years, exhibiting for the first time in Jersey his early work from when he lived in the Canadian rainforests of British Columbia to more recent works created in his studio in Rozel, Jersey.

This body of work is Le Breton in his element, with works that occupy a space dancing between Impressionism and pointillism. Crafting himself a unique style derived from some of his favourite artists, Hockney, Van Gogh and Seurat to name but a few. Combining spirituality and the absurd into the space, the exhibition serves to immerse the audience in a state of pure imagination and possibility, whilst confronting themes about the weird and wonderful head on.

As part of the exhibition the artist has produced a film which depicts a ‘real life’ sighting of Bigfoot in Rozel Woods and also an 8ft sculpture of the mythical beast which will dominate the gallery spaces.

This is the first time this mythical creature has been spotted outside its natural north American habitat and the film footage (available to view on the gallery website) reveals for the first time that Bigfoot is actually an accomplished player of the Didgeridoo.

Bigfoot first entered the human psyche in the 18th century when Folklorists traced the phenomenon to a combination of factors including the European wild man figure, folk tales, and indigenous north American cultures but it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that Bigfoot grew into a cultural icon, permeating popular culture and becoming the subject of its own distinct subculture thanks in part to the 1967 grainy super 8 footage dubbed the Patterson-Gimlin film.

Bigfoot enthusiasts often claim that the creature is the ‘missing link’ between apes and humans but perhaps the image of a lone figure, living on the margins of society and on the outside looking in, is how many artists have identified their roles within society.

Gallery Director Chris Clifford said: “In this our first of three autumnal exhibitions visitors to the gallery will be treated to a visually intense experience combined with a rich layering of cultural imagery that draws upon the beautiful, the eccentric and the just plain weird. Jacques Le Breton is a truly extraordinary and visionary artist whose works are witty and satirical but carry deeper underlying concerns about the absurdity of life in the 21st century.

“Since his first show at Private & Public Gallery in 2022 the artist has matured and it has been fascinating to see how he has successfully navigated his vision across a range of different mediums from film, to paintings and sculpture. This is a ‘must see’ exhibition the likes of which has never been staged in Jersey before so I hope that many people will take the opportunity to visit the gallery and enjoy the humour and playfulness that runs through the work of Jacques Le Breton.”