Abstract composition, 1995

Frank LeJeune (1962), born in Northampton, England, is self-taught and has only been working as an independent artist since he was 30. He soon sold his first works of art and then had his first exhibition at the age of 33.

Lejeune worked in business and filled his spare time with painting. One day the time came for him to free himself from the strict social patterns and he chose an insecure artist’s existence.

In the beginning, confirmation for his work from the outside was important. As he exhibited more often and began to sell his work regularly, this feeling gradually diminished.

Lejeune’s work can be called explosive. “It all happens very quickly. That’s why I prefer to work with acrylic paint… I can’t work with oil paint because the drying process is so slow”.

The crackle layers that arise in Lejeune’s artworks are therefore inherent in the way in which he handles fast-drying acrylic paint. One sees plastically applied compositions in which the paint in thick layers is sometimes pressed directly from the tube onto the carrier.

Nature has always been an important source of inspiration, which means that his work sometimes has something landscape-like, or evokes associations with animals and plants.

In Lejeune’s early work one sees, among other things, multiple panels in which horizontal color compositions shoot over different panels with spontaneous force.
Later his work became more and more whimsical and horizontal line compositions gave way to angular and round motifs. The tension between color and form becomes more intense and overlapping color surfaces are created, which degenerate into almost mask-like scenes, sometimes covered with a transparent white layer of acrylic paint.

In 1987 he released his first screen print. I have always printed and distributed everything myself… every screen print is different because after printing I finish the work with paint and pastel pencil. The ‘craft’ aspect of printing gives Lejeune great pleasure.