The works of Olivier Deprez are based on reality. His paintings are like snapshots, accidental recordings of everyday phenomena: children in the park, commuters on escalators, etc. Deprez reproduces them realistically, but ensures that details are highlighted within the painting process. In so doing he ensures that his paintings remain identifiable for the audience, but they are never translated directly into the fabric of the paint: the artist flattens out small details, so that his paintings acquire a strange anonymity. Or else he intensifies the use of colour so that the paintings suggest a more emotional experience. The art of turning reality and the perceptions there of into themes gives Deprez’s works direction. In an era where photos are increasingly directional (advertising, Internet, etc), the figurative paintings of Deprez offer an essential alternative for the mechanical directness of photos.