THIERRY LEFORT by Philippine Prévost - Los Angeles home

A Frenchy in Burbank by Philippine Prévost, in Los Angeles Home , 2023

Street art in Los Angeles has just been enriched with a new fresco created by our compatriot Thierry Lefort, a renowned artist who fell in love with California.
Presentation of this major project.

It all started around ten years ago, during the numerous Californian walks during which Thierry Lefort found his inspiration. While visiting Burbank, the artist was inspired by these grand avenues and their backdrop of rolling hills. He draws sketches then a painting, posted on Instagram. It was on this social network that the work attracted the attention of the cultural manager of the city of Burbank, who suggested that Thierry Lefort adapt his painting on a city wall.

Going from a small square painting to a wall of almost 150m2 represented a challenge for the artist. First of all, it was a question of finding the location of the wall, a choice entirely left to Thierry Lefort. Then, a certain number of administrative and regulatory constraints had to be lifted. As the wall did not belong to the city, the owner had to agree. A contract was signed between the artist and the city, covering various clauses, ranging from T. Lefort's remuneration to his obligation to take out American insurance in order to be protected against any damage incurred during the production (up to 3 million dollars!). Finally, the artistic challenge was significant. Such a format was new for the painter: the change in scale and the transition from square to rectangular wall required the creation of nearly three different models in order to adjust the shapes, perspectives but also the colors. Once this preparatory phase was completed in his workshop located in Studio City, T. Lefort squared the wall to transfer his sketch by hand, then gradually added his colors. Nearly 80 liters of paint were used! The artist also prepared himself physically. The work lasted the entire month of August 2022, with the painter working six days a week, from morning until 1 p.m., the afternoons being far too hot and the exposure less favorable. It was alone from the top of one of his two ladders, with a brush attached to a pole and his paint pots on the ground that T. Lefort painted.

Although the fresco has not yet been officially inaugurated – it should be this summer – it has already been integrated into the city's street art tourist circuit and has allowed T.Lefort to gain new visibility in the USA: he no longer counts the requests for frescoes (refused at this stage because they are part of a more commercial than artistic approach) and an American even contacted him to buy the wall! In France too, the media coverage was numerous and France Télévisions will film T. Lefort during a Californian artistic road trip which will go as far as the Grand Canyon. We have not finished following the American adventures of Frenchman Thierry Lefort for our greatest pleasure!

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