Montreal artist Martin Brouillette paints vibrant thought-provoking images that are an important testament of our times. They are not only eye-catching but a powerful and relevant source of inspiration. A tour of his studio allowed me to understand a little bit more about the artist and the universality of his message.

Tall ceilings and windows outline the space, and paints, brushes and canvases offer abundant inspiration in this airy downtown loft where Martin Brouillette creates. I got an exquisite look at the paintings as well as an account of how they came to be. His paintings have interesting names such as “Virtual Rendez Vous” and “Romantic Illusion” that measures an imposing 80x102 inches. They are explosive multi-layered accounts of contemporary culture. They are bold and subdued—and always powerful.

Taking into consideration the advent of the internet together with the idea of seduction, Brouillette creates something contemporary and very representative of our times: iSeduction. This is his most recent series of paintings. Brouillette explains that while browsing through websites and later approaching subjects who, “for some reason were very open to revealing their most intimate selves” on the internet, he became the voyeur.

He followed, learned, interpreted and then transferred the experience onto the canvas.

Although his paintings have not always been the same style, he maintains the important connection between his art and the way he communicates his concerns. “Now I feel more involved in a more emotional, rational, intellectual level,” Brouillette says about his evolution. “In my work there is always the figurative part and the abstract part,” he goes on to describe the level of his intrigue. “I’ve always drawn and painted.” Brouillette recalls early days with a fondness of the path he has chosen. “Now my work has a greater sense of meaning,” he says. Brouillette’s work has been exhibited in Montreal and Vancouver and he is recently in the process of establishing himself in London.

The paintings are a “testament of the time we live in” Brouilette says. As I spoke to him, as I observed the many pieces of art in that wonderful expanse, I felt the message in his paintings, and the unspoken gift of his art very clearly. “I’m not concerned with having a particular style,” Brouillette maintains. “I want to create and to explore the concerns at this particular time,” he says.