Orlinski's bestiary takes to the streets of Saint-Raphaël for the summer

It sits majestically opposite the Ferris wheel on the Delayen esplanade: a multifaceted red gorilla. Throughout the summer, Saint-Raphaël hosts works by Richard Orlinski, spread throughout the city. An open-air bestiary. Here the famous gorilla, there the crocodile, or even, a short distance away, an elephant or a polar bear. Works accessible to all, freely. Enough to satisfy the artist. "It's something that has always fascinated me: being able to bring the museum to the people. Here, everything is free. Everyone is happy, there are real interactions. You can even see the children feeding the animals," the sculptor says happily.

Bringing art to the public

He continues: "Some people still have a reluctance to enter museums, thinking that it's not for them. And then some establishments also have a cost." The democratization of art, according to him, comes from this desire to "break the codes and introduce artistic emotions to the younger generations."

Among the most highly regarded French artists in France and internationally, Richard Orlinski advocates an art that is "immediately readable. Something easy, perhaps too much so for some... but which, in any case, allows one to be accessible. I create for others, with the idea of ​​generating an emotion." And too bad if that displeases. As a price of success, he remains divisive, with some criticizing the simplicity of his work. "I was lucky enough to collaborate—not during his lifetime—with François Pompon. He was also highly criticized in his time; it was said that his smooth forms were too simple. But technically, it is more complicated to create facets and refined shapes than to reproduce something faithful to the original. Criticism doesn't affect me."

The iconic bestiary

In the streets of Saint-Raphaël, seven creations are presented: animals. "We worked with the city's teams to agree, to find the locations and pieces that made the most sense." This animal series symbolizes an important part of Orlinski's work. There is also the crocodile, his very first work. "I've always made animals. Ever since kindergarten, I made elephants and hippos out of clay. We've all always loved animals, whether in cartoons, visits to the zoo, or the characters we play with. Animals are very present in our imagination."

Among his productions, the most iconic is undoubtedly the red gorilla, exhibited in Saint-Raphaël. "It's an emblematic work, because it allows you to convey whatever you want. The gorilla is inspired by the Silverback, an endangered species. It is very close to us, with a 98.47% common DNA. This resemblance allows a form of projection." As is often the case in his work, color plays a central role - especially red, which marked his beginnings. " For me, it's a color that represents life, emotion. The sculptures are still lifes; you can bring them to life with color, give them expressions. Red is very particular, very alive. It can also evoke blood." Colors, in general, allow him to bring "joy, positivity, into a world that is rather gray." Enough to brighten up Saint-Raphaël a little more during this summer period.

Regular in the region

Orlinski's name is often associated with the South of France. Sometimes beyond the purely artistic context, as was recalled by the searches carried out last March at the Nice town hall and in the artist's offices, as part of an investigation into gifts given to an elected official. Replicas "with no commercial value," as he has always maintained. But beyond that, he cultivates a real attachment to the region. "It's a beautiful region, a jewel of France. I'm starting to develop my habits. In the summer, I sail along the coast. I like to pass through the Estérel. Between Saint-Tropez and Monaco, I have a few obligatory stops. There are always discoveries." In Saint-Raphaël, the collaboration could even go beyond this single exhibition. The artist and the elected officials promised, during the opening on Tuesday evening, to work together again in the future. The date is set.

Richard Orlinski in Saint-Raphaël until September 21. Free open-air exhibition.