Awesome Artist We’ve Found Around The Net: Laurent Durieux

March 2, 2024

For years, Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net has been about two things only – awesome art and the artists that create it. With that in mind, we thought why not take the first week of the month to showcase these awesome artists even more? Welcome to “Awesome Artist We’ve Found Around The Net.” In this column, we are focusing on one artist and the awesome art that they create, whether they be amateur, up and coming, or well established. The goal is to uncover these artists so even more people become familiar with them. We ask these artists a few questions to see their origins, influences, and more. If you are an awesome artist or know someone that should be featured, feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected].This month we are very pleased to bring you the awesome art of…

Laurent Durieux

Laurent Durieux is a 42-year-old illustrator and graphic artist, designer and teacher, of two decades. Laurent is only recently being discovered in the United States, thanks to some high-profile awards and marquee commissions. The climb from relative obscurity began in 2011, when Durieux was named one of the world’s 200 Best Illustrators by the influential international advertising magazine Lürzer’s Archive. Also in that year, his short animated film, “Hellville,” was selected and screened at several prestigious film festivals.

JOBLO: What inspired you to become an artist?
LAURENT: When I was very young, I started drawing compulsively, and that’s all I did. As my older brother was studying art, I discovered an artist who inspired and motivated me all my life: Moebius..

Who were some of your favorite artists growing up?
Being a big fan of comics and the Heavy Metal Magazine, my favorite artists were Hergé (Tintin) Edgard P Jacobs (Blake and Mortimer) of course Jean Giraud Moebius , Enki Bilal, François Schuiten with whom I have the immense pleasure of working today and counting among my friends.

Who do you really dig these days, follow on Instagram?
I’m an admirer and a fan at heart. I’m a huge fan of the artists of the 30s, 40s and 50s, and Fortune Magazine has had a huge influence on me. Today, I love the work of a fabulous italian artist called Andrea Serio, I also love the work of a painter I’m particularly fond of, Eric Bowman, but there are also contemporary artists like Ted Larsen.

What advice would you have for budding artists today?
Find your style, amplify the flaws you may have to create your own uniqueness. Avoid being too photographic and too realistic, from now on AI will take care of that. But the most important thing is the ideas you have to say about a subject, and that’s what will always make the difference with AI. Emotional, thought-provoking.

What should we be looking out for from you in the future?
I’ll be concentrating more on my personal work, probably doing fewer alternative film posters. I’ll also be working on a book of illustrations for the Edgar P Jacobs license called BLAKE AND MORTIMER.

Being a fansite, we have to ask you… What are some of your favorite movies/TV shows of all time
Movie: Back To The Future 1, 2 and 3, Blade Runner, Vertigo, The Godfather, The Red Shoes, Shawshank Redemption…

TV shows: Seinfeld, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Fargo

Scroll down to check out some of our favorite art pieces from Laurent as we continue to follow his journey across his Website and social media hubs: Instagram / Facebook / Store

Apocalypse Now