Atlas

Directed by Duncan MacLeod

2022

Fishbulb Films

A new documentary has appeared out of the blue from Leicester’s Fishbulb Films, who turn their lens towards the aquatic endeavours of local artist Olivier Leger as he undertakes a brand-new piece of art.

Leger is an ocean wildlife artist and he's introduced when he’s about to set sail on a new adventure as he prepares to start his latest painting named ‘Atlas’.

Inspired by the fanciful features within the earth’s deep blue, Leger’s work is not the only focus, as the documentary mixes interviews and discussions as it tackles diverse topics like environmentalism and our associations with nature.

Atlas contains some great editing from the beginning as we are taken on a voyage between shots where clever dissolves link the colours of Leger’s paint with the vibrant movement of the sea.

His swirling brushstrokes are captured in well-composed shots, and we get to see Leger in his studio as he introduces us to the tools of his craft. From paper, knives, pencils and paint pots, the artist welcomes the viewer into his home giving the documentary a heartfelt and warm tone.

With my own personal interest in whales (that’s a story for another time involving a childhood trip to the Natural History Museum), Olivier’s large canvas of a humpback is particularly striking and well-illustrated.

The painting’s name is Whaley McWhale face, a wry tongue in cheek title that reflects Leger’s quirky personality. He is at times very serious about his passions, but can also be as playful as the kinetic pictures he creates. Also witnessed when see him in his tiny red Mini Cooper that he uses to transport some of his large canvases to galleries.

Atlas however is going to be an image of a micro-detailed turtle and hopes to explore the creation myth where the animal has the world on the back of its shell. Like many of his other works, Leger is using creatures themselves as the coral reef who “feed” the natural eco-system.

The artist uses the minutiae of sea life to create a bigger portrait of ocean significance. And despite starting with a “beautiful” blank white canvas, Olivier often uses his own travel photos as the source of his art and combines them into a much more complex whole.

The documentary gently captures the artist as he goes about his work and this is interspersed with sincere discussions on man’s relationship with the natural world as well as the current effects of our pollution and interference.

Warm and enthusiastic, it’s not hard to connect with both Leger’s work and the meanings behind it. And it’s helped by quaint animations to help explain some of the more scientific aspects. From kelp to otters, the film itself has its own ecosystem of relational components, excellently animated here by Miriam Bean.

The documentary also teases harder-hitting topics too. We are told that ‘how long does a painting take’* and ‘how many fish are in them’ are the regular queries from people who see Leger’s art. However, despite this engagement, a certain apathy exists – are these really the questions we should be asking of paintings that convey so many more important messages?

Atlas concludes though as a very honest and practical look at an honest and practical artist with the impressive artwork itself showcasing a fabulous talent. The documentary is a satisfying sea of ideas and also very varied to keep audiences engaged, using talking-heads and fly-on-the-wall techniques to both educate and entertain.

Shown from one artist's perspective, Atlas impressively maps the multiple complex factors that face our natural world but also explores how these marvellous paintings can make us think about our own responsibilities as shared animals on this fragile but beautiful earth.

★★★★

4/5

Michael Sales

* “A really effing long time” we are told.