Christophe Domergue (b.1975) - Archiving the Urban Landscape

Christophe Domergue's artistic journey commenced when he completed an Advanced Diploma in Fine Art at Seaforth TAFE in 1994, he then finished a Diploma in Design at Enmore Design in 2003, and in 2017, completed a Master of Art at Cofa (College of Fine Arts) now called UNSW. 

He has been a finalist in multiple prizes including the prestigious Dobell Drawing Prize where he exhibited one of his peeling works made from fiberglass and resin. Additionally, he was highly commended at the Milburn Art Prize for Landscape, hosted by the Brisbane Institute of Art in Brisbane, Australia. 

As a child of the 1980s Domergue enjoyed playing in vacant and forbidden industrial sites around Sydney. He says: ‘My affinity for these spaces only grew as I threw myself into the early 90s rave culture. While most people overlook these derelict and abandoned spaces, they continue to hold a special place in my heart. I find so much character in the decayed urban geometry, abstract textures and fascinating compositional beauty of these and other forgotten spaces.’ 

While we can observe and study the natural processes leading to surface layer accumulation, the intricate interactions involved are often complex and difficult to fully understand, making it impossible to know every single detail. Domergue doesn’t try to investigate or understand the geo-ethnographical history of the place, his interest lies in removing and documenting the contrast of different materials that time has provided. 

At the heart of his artistic process is the innovative technique he developed and aptly named "Peeling." With a deliberate degree of controlled precision, he pours a heterogeneous mixture of thick, malleable pigments in a fiberglass resin onto a carefully chosen urban surface. When this process hardens, he physically peels away the surface layer which now also includes the underlying rich history of the original surface. The culmination of his process yields a striking blend of varied colored abstract shapes on a highly textured surface. He sees these works as collaboration between himself and the urban environment and is constantly surprised to see what the surface has held onto and what it has let go of. 

The visual imagery can be his final work of art or can serve as his canvas. Either way his work transcends the conventional landscape painting, inviting viewers into a world of texture, colour and form that engages on a profound level.

Ken McGregor (2025)