To Distraction / Éperdument by Catherine Loewe

Unit is delighted to present Rex Southwick’s latest solo exhibition, To Distraction (Éperdument). This series of large-scale paintings emerged from his residency last year at one of Jacques Couëlle’s iconic sculptural homes overlooking the Bay of Cannes.

Words by Catherine Loewe

The title of Rex Southwick’s latest body of work, Éperdument, refers to Dorothea Tanning’s 1962 painting, created after her relocation to Southern France in search of creative refuge amid the region’s sun-soaked serenity. In these works, Southwick responds to the mythological attraction of the area for pioneering artists and architects seeking to lose themselves in the reverie of the Riviera. Like those before him, Southwick found himself drawn by its radiant light and natural beauty, inspired by the dream-like charm of this corner of the Mediterranean coastline.

To Distraction presents a narrative that captures how architectural icons of the South of France exist in moments of unpredictability, during the off-season before the arrival of crowds. The works depict quiet, sometimes mundane, “backstage” views of some of the Cote d’Azur’s most notable and lesser-known architectural dwellings. The pioneering modernism of the 1920s is exemplified by Eileen Grey and Jean Badovici’s Villa E-1027 – which commands a spectacular view of Cap Martin – to the exuberant forms of the 1980s, such as the Palais Bulles, designed by architect Antti Lovag as a “form of play – spontaneous, joyful, full of surprise.” For Southwick, the true value of the Côte d’Azur lies in its dense concentration of diverse, high-quality architecture and artistic heritage, packed into a remarkably compact stretch of coast. 

In a time of global volatility and uncertainty, Southwick explores the concept of escape through the physical and psychological structures created by earlier artists and designers. A recurring theme in Southwick’s work is the relationship between individuals and the spaces they inhabit, and how these environments influence human behaviour. We now live in an era where digital escapism is increasingly accessible, even normalized, which begs the question: how do such physical spaces function today? Once icons of utopian freedom and aspirational living, these locations – now often rendered as idealised or ostentatious social media “posts” – risk becoming kitsch versions of their original selves, removed from the realities that first gave them meaning.

Rendered in ambiguous and dramatic lighting – evoking either dawn or dusk – the immersive scale of Southwick’s canvases invites viewers to step into the scene. A recurring motif in Southwick’s oeuvre is the depiction of a quiet authenticity and labor, offering a dialogue between escapism and the often-overlooked reality of maintaining that escape. There is undeniable beauty in the unspoiled landscape and the ever present sea, yet every setting is inevitably touched by human presence. Rather than reject this, Southwick embraces and highlights it, creating compositions that are dense with visual information but grounded in deliberate design and formal integrity.

Southwick’s intense hyperbolic use of colour, created in part through his signature pink under-paint, echoes the brilliance and luminosity so famed in the region. In a letter to his dealer, the abstract painter Nicolas de Stael once wrote “The light is simply dazzling here. I will make some things for you of the sea and the beach, capturing the intensity of the light if all goes well.” There is a sense in which an artist working here cannot copy colour by empirical means, only, convey it symbolically through heightened colour tones. Southwick’s garish rendering of dense vegetation, varied shades of blue for sea and sky, and white-washed buildings create dramatic scenes that imprint themselves on the retina – instantly placing us in the Mediterranean South.

Many compositions reference the work of Pierre Bonnard, who lived just a short distance from Couëlle’s “Dragon Hill” residence, where Southwick developed this series. Bonnard’s home in Le Cannet, once a tranquil hilltop village above Cannes, is now part of the dense urban sprawl of the Alpes-Maritimes. Bonnard often painted his terrace with glimpses of the sea beyond, framed by obscure forms along the edges of the canvas. These peripheral blocks of colour and shape find echoes in Southwick’s work through silhouettes of gardeners, the geometry of the architecture, and abstract forms close to the viewer – hinting at something just outside the frame or deliberately concealed. The angle of the viewer remains ambiguous, whether on the sea or standing on a road overlooking the property. These are subtle visual devices that reflect Southwick’s ongoing interest in perception, particularly in a digital age where images are curated or cropped to present a contrived “authenticity.” 

Working from hundreds of casual smartphone snapshots, photography plays a significant role in Southwick’s process as he seeks to present a reality that may, paradoxically, feel more genuine and less ephemeral. While photography has long been associated with capturing truth, it may also be one of the greatest deceptions of our time. By contrast, painting – translated through personal experience – can offer a more nuanced and authentic sense of place, one grounded not only in its appearance, but in how it is lived and felt.