They want to preserve and promote as best as possible the work of the Viviezois artist Guy Brunet

The notoriety of the Viviezois artist Guy Brunet, now aged 79, continues to grow. Since the age of 7, he has developed his own universe – Paravision – around the golden age of American cinema in the mid-20th century. He thus created figurines representing his favorite actresses and actors, to have them play in the animated films that he directed after writing the scripts.

It was in his house in Viviez-Pont that he established his workshop, even if he regularly installed his tools on the sidewalk of Avenue Adam-Grange, to create his characters, in front of the fresco of 5.20 m by 2.40 m made on the coating covering the gate of his home.

Growing success since 2002

“This work is essential in Guy Brunet's career. It is thanks to this fresco that he had his first exhibition. At that time, there was no Viviez diversion and all road traffic passed in front of his home. This is how he was noticed by Pascal Saumade, gallery owner in Sète, and exhibition curator at the MIAM (international museum of modest arts) in Sète. there since then, he has been exhibited in numerous places including internationally. His recent exhibition in Villeneuve-d'Ascq attracted more than 60,000 visitors and sparked rave reviews in prestigious cultural publications. Alain Solignac, Lilian Bathelot and Jean-Louis Calmettes, respectively president, secretary and treasurer of the Guy Brunet Paravision association.

Mobilization around Brunet's work

This association was created in 2016 with the aim of “allowing the artist Guy Brunet to be able to create and work in complete serenity in Viviez in places adapted to his daily life and his art; to allow the creation of a museum place in Viviez in order to highlight the pictorial and cinematographic work; to create various activities around the work of Guy Brunet in order to make this artist known at the regional, national and international level.

We remember the film “The Fabulous History of Paravision”, directed by Lilian Bathelot and Renée Garaud in 2013; who won the Fifigrot prize the same year; and which was broadcast several times by Canal +. The association says it is worried about the future of Guy Brunet's house, which he no longer lives in and which the town hall has decided to buy, as well as a second house in poor condition, also belonging to the Brunet family, attached at the first.

“An emblematic and historical fresco”

The association has just written to the DRAC (regional directorate of cultural affairs) and to the communities: “We must keep this emblematic and historical fresco of which a facsimile was produced for Guy Brunet's exhibitions. We are looking for of a political will which takes hold of the project and gives it the means, that is to say to set up a structure capable of creating a center to house these works and make them profitable. We regularly exchange constructively with the town hall. , thanks to whom we were able to shelter Guy's works, which several museums are eyeing. The mayor is part of the association.

Jean-Louis Denoit, mayor of Viviez reassures: “We have provided the association with premises to store the works. The purchase by the town hall of the two Brunet houses is in progress, in order to keep control. We are to the diagnoses I responded to the very interesting letter from the association: the house which is collapsing will be demolished because it is dangerous. The other, the former home and workshop of Guy Brunet, will be the subject of a. preservation and reflection to examine what developments can take place, including for the works. I wrote to this effect to the president of Decazeville community, community which carries culture.