How Travel Shapes My Perspective as an Artist
By Sebastien Montel
Travel has always been more than movement for me, it is a way of seeing differently. Each place carries its own rhythm, its own silence, its own contradictions. As a French artist working in both Los Angeles and Palm Springs, I find that travel continually reshapes not only what I see, but how I paint.
The Influence of France
Growing up in France, I was surrounded by layers of history and art. From museums to street murals, art was always present. That foundation continues to influence my identity as a French artist today. The European sensibility of questioning, reflecting, and creating from emotion remains central to my work in expressionist art and contemporary art.
Los Angeles: Movement and Energy
Los Angeles offers a constant pulse of motion. Its diversity, scale, and contradictions push me to embrace distortion and layering in my painting. Here, I often find myself leaning into the rawness of emotional art, where the human figure becomes a vessel for energy, chaos, and resilience.
Palm Springs: Silence and Space
In contrast, Palm Springs offers stillness. The desert light, the quiet, and the open space influence my use of color and negative space. This atmosphere allows me to deepen the psychological aspects of my work, drawing me toward psychological art that reflects introspection and intimacy.
Why Travel Matters in Expressionist Art
Every new place offers different textures, both physical and emotional. Whether through the architecture of Paris, the sprawl of Los Angeles, or the silence of Palm Springs, I integrate these impressions into my practice. My mixed media art, layered with oil, newspaper, and pencil, reflects this constant weaving of cultural and emotional experiences.
Travel reminds me that identity itself is layered. It is not fixed, but fluid, shaped by memory, place, and the people we encounter along the way. For me, art is the map of that journey.