Syl Chad biography :: Visual Art World

SYL Chad was born in the north of France (Lille), in March 1967.
She was 9 years old when her family moved to the French Riviera in the south of France, where she grew up in the countryside, close to nature. Her passion for photography started when she was 12 years old.

At 14 years old, she learned photographic laboratory techniques while working with BW (black & white) photos in Grasse (France). After the usual school trajectory, SYL spent two years studying psychology at the University of Nice.

In 1986, she felt so attracted to travel that she decided to venture out on her own. She left France at 19 years old with very little money. SYL spent almost a year in the French West Indies and two years in South America (Venezuela). There, she worked independently, creating and selling handmade jewelry.
The reality of being suddenly immersed in a brand new world (what she was looking for!) taught her to be more aware of her surroundings, opening new "doors" of perception.

When SYL returned to France, she experimented with different media, including wood sculpture and gouache. In 1989, she met Ric Meric, a great painter and thinker. They traveled together to the south of Spain where she learned drawing and classical oil painting techniques from Ric and from books.

In the following years, SYL spent her time creating numerous oil paintings and drawings using different media such as charcoal, sepia, sanguine and pastel. She also completed studies in the Art and Technique of Photography.
The practice of photography took on more and more importance in her life. Nature became her favorite subject. Some friends invited the artist couple to live in the north of Germany, close to Hamburg. It was there that SYL started using color slide film. She was inspired by the effects of cold on nature and her photographs reflected that interest during this time.

Syl also worked on another kind of photo, exploring the magnificence of light. With the same creative spirit applied to the nature photos, she developed what she calls today her "Experimental Photography." SYL did not have her own laboratory at that time, so she concentrated her efforts on the "catch of sight": how to reach a "special-effects" photo in one shot, using lights, glossy materials, glass, color inks and other media.

At that time, RIC & SYL started working together on photomontage and they produced slide shows which they performed on stage with live music.

Later on, with the idea of combining the different activities of picture creation, SYL settled on a technique using drawings and photographs which she called "Photographism."

In 1999, SYL & RIC return to France to enter the electronic world and to learn how to use computers. SYL was enthusiastic about the possibilities offered by internet technology. In order to communicate and share their experiences with the world, she bought some books (once again) and started to learn how to build websites.

In 2000, with the help of Ric, she created the first version on the Web of “ARTIMAGE Virtual Gallery," introducing the couple’s artwork: oil paintings, drawings and photographs. Later, the couple edited “Artimage CD Rom” gathering most of their creations, including pre-drawings and comments.

During the year 2000, SYL & RIC returned to Germany again, this time to the north of Berlin. The strong presence of nature called SYL and her camera back to the wild paths… This new period rounded out her impressive photographic work, always oriented towards nature and its amazing beauty.

In 2004, in need of sun and warmth, the couple moved to Marbella in the south of Spain. After a sabbatical year, SYL began a new approach to her photo art through digital photography. She continued to explore new styles of photomontage using Photoshop software.

In 2005, she went back to painting and experimented with new techniques using acrylics and oils, trying to improve her realistic photo style.

In 2006, she created a variation of erotic art by combining photography, painting, drawing and computer software.

In 2007, “A Perfect World” exhibition took place at the Prado23 (Marbella-Spain) introducing a new style of Digital Art based on her photos of commercial centers and mannequins.

Later on, SYL delved deeper into the world of computers, gaining expertise in Macromedia Flash, a software allowing the creation of animated websites. These new animation skills lead her to video editing utilizing Flash technology. The couple worked together on a Flash presentations, integrating multimedia such as videos, photographs and animations.

In 2008, the couple decided to start a screenwriter career. Their first script “TANGLED AFFAIRS” has been awarded in several screenplay contests in the USA. A second screenplay is in progress.

In 2009, Syl & Ric have gone back to a first love: they recently created elaborated visual art show, based on their graphic and digital works, using the latest digital techniques of video projection.

SYL has directed her steps over the years with constant experimentation with various techniques, combining photography, painting, drawing and digital media, tending towards specific syntheses of various fields within the framework of visual and plastic arts.

She gave different names to the various visual fields she has worked on.
SYL called her painting and drawing style “Romantic Surrealism,” her nature and research photos “Contemplative Photography” and “Experimental Photography.”
Her goal is to create pictures with meaning, still images that would “talk” to our souls; no esoteric symbols in it that only a few would understand. She digs deep inside her instinctive character to communicate feelings, and to share her vision of wonder. SYL uses her ability to see the simple beauties of our world, first for her own immediate benefit and, for those lucky enough to discover her art work, to remind us how valuable some of the little things are.

Studies:
1984: Baccalaureate "Economic and Social Sciences" - College Amiral de Grasse - Grasse ( F)
1984-1986: two years of Psychology (D.E.U.G) - University of Nice - Nice ( F)

Languages spoken:
French (native), Spanish, English, some German.

List of solo exhibitions :
1992- Reese Gallery - Oil paintings and Drawings (Hamburg, Germany)
1996- Klein Heinrich Gallery – Photography (Glückstadt, Germany)
1998- Galerie du Moulin – Photography exhibition + audio-visual show based on Syl’s photographs (Grasse, France)
2003- Kiosque des Arts - (Cannes, France)
2007 - “Perfect World”: exhibition at the Prado23 (Marbella-Spain) Digital photomontage printed on canvas (Giclée) -

List of collective exhibitions:
1991- “El Chico”- Oil paintings and Drawings, together with Ric Meric (Marbella, Spain)
1994- Sophia-Antipolis Gallery - Oil paintings (Antibes, France)
1994 - Antibes (France) - Marché des Artistes -
1995- Reese Gallery - Oil paintings and Drawings, together with Ric Meric (Hamburg, Germany)
1997- Glückstadt Kino - Oil paintings, Drawings and Photographs + audio-visual show based on Syl’s photographs, together with Ric Meric (Glückstadt, Germany)
2000- Reese Gallery - Oil paintings, Drawings and Photographs - (Hamburg, Germany)
2003- Kiosque des Arts - (Cannes, France) -