The Anglo-Saxon community is very important in Noires-sur-Serine. Some only come on vacation. Others, such as Lex McFadden and Brendan Docherty, have decided to live and settle in the medieval town full time. A choice based on health status and international context. “We are not English, we are Scottish, says Brendan Docherty. And in Scotland, leaving Europe was not accepted by many, including us.”
1. since from Is In January, he had only one hurry: to leave the United Kingdom to reach France and Noirs, which had become his adopted village. They arrived with the ambition to apply for their naturalization – “we feel really European” – and to open a gallery.
[Coup de coeur] noirs-sur-serine, magician
Known by the residents of the village for 10 years
Over the years, Lex and Brandon have become city figures, even though they only spent a few months a year together. They arrived on the banks of the Serene about ten years ago, falling in love with the old stones of one of the most beautiful villages in France. But above all, Lex McFadden created a sensation by performing in the village’s short-lived galleries. Initially, his series of dog drawings surprised more than one visitor, with few animals known to all residents. Then, in later years, the painter wanted to share his exhibitions with other artists in the Highlands. Expected by the public, he has punctuated every summer since 2016.
Even to bring in pictures from Scotland a few weeks a year, it turned out to be too complicated.
Based on this success, the couple wanted to go further. The context precipitated things. “Even a few weeks a year to bring in pictures from Scotland, it got too complicated,” says Brendan Docherty. So he opened a gallery in front of the Place de la Petit-Step-au-Vin. Of course there are the works of Lex McFadden, but so are his friends. “Some of the artists I attended studied with me. Others are friends who are known in Scotland. It’s important for them to also perform in France and be visible internationally.” They are all new. Some are performing abroad for the first time, others already have a long international career behind them.
A graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, Lex McFadden worked for seventeen years in a fashion design company creating a range of high fashions. It was in 2002 that he decided to return to his initial passion between drawing and sculpture.
Practice. The gallery is open every day. free admission.
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