Face to Face is the title of the painting used on the poster advertising Brigitte Willers' August exhibition of gloriously detailed aquarelles in Viens. Every year, she explains, there's one image that seems to sum up what her work is about, and the key is here, on the reflections of the landscape on the old truck window and the rust that seems to be taking over the ancient farm vehicle, taking it, little by little, back to earth.
'I'm interested in reflections in glass, which can be as fascinating as those in water,' she told me at her gallery in the Old Bakery. In this picture, the truck faces the ridge of the Grand Luberon but the side window reflects back a view of the hilltop village of Viens.
Willers' paintings are full of complex patterns and almost photographic detail. Her scenes of year-round Luberon life focus on the rustic and neglected, the run-down and forgotten corners. The patina of rust is another of her fascinations.
But these are contrasted throughout with vibrant close-ups of nature, the explosions of colour summing up beautifully the balance between the picturesque decay and rampant flora in Provence, all lit by the brightest of sunshine.
If you are anywhere near Viens - close to the town of Apt - before August 25th, Brigitte Willers' work is well worth seeing. If you can't get here, click here for her website.
