Description
The proposed reinterpretation – dubbed “paint box of freedom” in the Xanthopsia collection – is part of a resolutely contemporary and philosophical approach, combining mixed media (physical and digital painting) and subrealist abstraction to revisit Van Gogh’s “Portrait of a Prostitute”. This approach is intended as a meditation on creative freedom, freed from all technical, material and even conceptual restrictions, whether in the practice of physical art or in its digital version via blockchain.
From a conceptual point of view, the work combines the tactile materiality of traditional painting – the legacy of artisanal know-how and personal commitment to a laborious process, such as the daily copyrighting of one’s works – with the immateriality and immediacy of digital technology thanks to timestamping. This process of daily uploading to the blockchain symbolizes for me a quest for pure freedom: I am not a slave to market fluctuations or economic imperatives, but refocus on experimentation, intimate expression and the celebration of life. Thus, the work frees itself from the commodification of art to devote itself to the intrinsic pleasure of creating.
On a philosophical level, this work presents itself as a contemplative and dreamlike allegory, a reflection on the duality inherent in existence: the central black pixel, a point of meditation, embodies the contrast between chaos and harmony, darkness and light. This contrast, amplified by the abundance of animated forms — evoking the pulsations and movement of life — invites the viewer to an introspection on the permanent tension between various poles of human existence. The choice to integrate digital technology into this dialogue between extremes reinforces the question of time and memory: how can the new medium enrich our understanding and experience of classical works, while allowing a redefinition of our relationships with the visible and the ephemeral?
Van Gogh’s own story, his commitment to giving a voice to the oppressed and his ability to transcend the social codes of his time, finds a powerful echo here. The modern artist takes up this idea by celebrating the freedom to paint without constraint and by implicitly criticizing the straitjacket that tends to define the value of art by financial criteria. The Xanthopsia collection, or “yellow vision” – is a nod, if I may say so, to an altered, perhaps utopian, perception of reality – reminding us that positivity and light can be born even in the dark, transforming the negative into a source of inspiration.
In summary, “paint box of freedom” presents itself as a hybrid work that bridges the artistic past and the digital present, while posing the essential question of creative freedom. It questions our relationship to art in an era where time, materiality and the instantaneous are constantly being redefined. Through this approach, the artist not only pays homage to Van Gogh and his commitment to an expression freed from social constraints, but he also pushes us to reflect on how each individual can find, in their mind and daily practice, the means to transcend the limits imposed by technology or the market. True freedom, that which emanates from our savoir-vivre, then becomes both an artistic ideal and a personal mission.
tribute to : Van Gogh : Portrait of a prostitute
see original at: Van Gogh Museum
format / media / size / speed / Edition
2160 x 3840 px / mp4 / 110 MB / 8 fps / 1/1