The French artist invites us into mysterious realms
Paris-based artist and game designer Romain Courtois gives us all the feels. For anyone who grew up playing old-school Nintendo games, his pixel-based aesthetic is both soothing and complex. (His work somehow jibes nicely with that trend of rebooting classic songs to sound like they’re playing in empty malls.)
Courtois helped us ring in Lemonade’s launch in France with a stunning animation depicting a plane zooming high over the Eiffel Tower, leaving behind a #FF0083-tinted vapor trail. We talked to him about classic games and the appeal of abandoned places.
What is so appealing to you about pixel art?
When I started making pixel art, it was in order to create the kind of retro video games I used to play when I was a kid. But progressively it became a full-time art technique for my personal work.
I like the fact that there is no lines, no hand—it’s a kind of Impressionism, but sleek and shiny like a film. With pixel art, I’m trying to do something between photography, cinema, and illustration.
What are some of your favorite games from the past?
Plenty…but my most memorable video game is probably Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. And Batman for Game Boy, too. The game design was one of the best, near Super Mario Bros on the perfection scale.
Can you tell me a bit about your commission for Lemonade, to celebrate our arrival in France?
It was really fun. An aerial urban view is cool to do. And the Eiffel Tower, very challenging. I can’t tell exactly where the ideas come from. They arrive like butterflies… it’s up to you to catch them or not.
How would you describe the creative scene in Paris right now?
Hard to tell, because I’m mostly focused worldwide. Sometimes I meet very good French artists on social media…like the Soret brothers, working on The Last Night. An amazing project!
What advice would you offer to a younger artist just starting out?
Work with references as much as possible, and always keep in mind everything has a volume—even a sheet of paper.
What fascinates you about abandoned places and ruins?
I’ve like abandoned places since I was a kid. I’ve always been fascinated. I remember an abandoned hotel in Tunisia, where I was for summer vacation. Imagine: a lot of people once had a good time there… and then nobody, a desert. Abandoned places provide some strong nostalgia feelings about things I wasn’t even involved with.
See more of Romain Courtois’s work here, and don’t forget to follow #ConnectedByLemonade!
