Born on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, LeBoeuf studied in Durango Colorado before heading to Manhattan to earn his MFA at the New York Academy of Art. Today he calls the bucolic region of Litchfield County, Connecticut home but his Southern roots quietly emerge in his large oil paintings. Known for his realistic portraiture– he’s been compared to American painters like Andrew Wyeth and Eric Fischl—LeBoeuf has a very literary, almost poetic, approach to his work. His painting “The Pearl” hangs in the lobby of the Pinch.
Q.
What is the story behind this painting?
A.
The piece originated from an earlier version that is in a private collection in New Orleans. “The Pearl” is another telling of the story of the Sisyphus, the king who the Greek gods ordered the eternal punishment of rolling a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down. This shucker in the picture is surrounded by hundreds of oyster shells but there is no pearl to be found. It’s an absurd task.
Q.
Is the shucker modeled on someone you know?
A.
Yes, it’s my uncle Chris who lives in New Orleans. He is retired but he used to work on an oil rig in Louisiana. Charleston and New Orleans are simpatico cities. They both have a strong culture around water— whether it’s fishing or boating or trade.
Q.
Who inspires your art?
A.
Well Anselm Kiefer is one of my favorite artists just because of the scale but I also love a lot of filmmakers: Terence Malick, PT Anderson and Stanley Kubrick are are a few of my favorites.