drawing of a woman with a snake wrapped around her neck
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72 - Mathieu V. STAELENS (born 1980) The Performer, 2007 Graphite…
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Description
Mathieu V. STAELENS (born 1980) The Performer, 2007 Graphite on paper 105 x 75 cm Provenance: Grusenmeyer Art Gallery, Deurle, Belgium (Framed) The works by Mathieu V. Staelens from the ‘Performers’ series are the components of an installation yet to come, as is generally the case with Staelens. The artist’s creative process operates, in a sense, in reverse. First, a very broad concept takes shape in his mind, which, as it develops, gradually takes concrete form in various series of paintings, architectural elements and objects, and even participatory projects. Through this approach, he has sought to offer his own response to the intrinsic challenges of visual language. A form of figurative rhetoric, the suggestive power of the composition, the intensification of perception brought about by colour, or the distancing effect created by ‘dirty’ tones, blacks or greys all contribute to this approach. The composition of the ‘performer’ series adheres to principles similar to those of advertising imagery, save for the obligatory element of the slogan. This in no way prevents Stelens’ images from inviting interpretation, owing to their figurative power. Their poses and their morbid atmospheres draw the viewer into a very direct confrontation. The mechanism – a consistent pattern (the female bust portrait, techniques such as charcoal, pastel or lacquer, the use of black and white, and the inclusion of a reproduction in the right-hand corner are all constants) – is complemented by the introduction of other motifs that blur the established relationships. At the same time, these variables and constants serve to highlight aspects that never reveal themselves of their own accord. It is therefore not surprising that Staelens’ works seem merely to play with meaning The Performer #3 105 x 75 cm
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About the sale Modern and contemporary art – design
Auction location
Auction time 06/30/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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