Three Artworks Three Stories
February 13, 2023
While some people prefer to focus on the aesthetic appeal of an artwork, which is undeniably important, others are always curious as to what stands behind it. Almost every work of art has a unique backstory. Sometimes it’s a story about the artist whereas other times it is fictional or nonfictional. The story behind an artwork can be based on culture, social history, national, and personal. Corridor Contemporary presents to you our new series, three artworks, three stories. Here are the stories behind the artworks.
All Against All
by Erik Šille
The river serves as the painting’s central motif, acting as a narrator, embodying the adage “You can’t step in the same river twice”, from Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. An expression that the artist thinks of in relation to the current state of society, which is constantly repeating the same mistakes made in the past.
There are two ships in the painting, each with a different group of figures. However, no one looks at anyone, no one speaks to anyone, and everyone is carried away not only by the river but also by their own self-presentation and egoism. The only interacting character is the one on a caterpillar shouting plan (Slovak – hobluj!)” meaning “go!”.
Another figure associated with the theme of a river can be seen at the stern of the ship, the so-called ferryman, or Charon. Another symbol is the number 161 (representing anti-fascism) on the T-shirt of a character holding a phone or standing behind a burnt-out tree stump.
The leaving soul, representing lostness and despair, adds to the overall horror of the scene. The painting’s background is a jungle, with a single source of light coming from an atomic bomb explosion on the painting’s left side.
Sille debated incorporating text into his artwork for a long time before deciding to merge text and image due to the strong connection between the two in today’s reality, particularly in the world of advertising. This specific text in Šille’s piece appears in this work is actually the title of the work, in Slovak “vetci proti vetkm,” which translates to “All Against All” in English. “In process,” this time in English, is written beneath it in almost the same color as the moon which almost makes it transparent.
This text was taken from Šille’s social media interaction, during which he wanted to present his unfinished work to his social media audience. This is the caption he posted for an image of the unfinished painting. He was so moved by this simple caption that he decided to incorporate it directly into the painting; Making the painting process and its digital distribution inseparable.
All against all, 2020
Acrylic on Canvas
Hand-signed by artist
74 3/4 x 86 5/8 in
190 x 220 cm
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Dust before the wind – AKM
by Manabu Hasegawa
Manabu Hasegawa’s unique style involves the combination of drawing techniques with sculpture. He creates paper models given life by the application of pencil and frottage. With a deep sense of craftsmanship, he molded and shaped paper into such objects as knives, as well as guns and bullets.
Since they are created with such fragile and transient materials such as “pencil and paper, a strong contrast is embodied in the work. Behind his work, lies an influence of religion and Japanese spirituality.
In a quest to discover his own identity, Hasegawa has been exposed to several religions and philosophical ideas. Then, he encountered the ‘Tale of Heike’. This old Japanese tale incorporates elements of Buddhist and Shinto beliefs, existing alongside each other, with differing spiritual viewpoints but ultimately united. Hasegawa is interested in this balance of “onmyou” (yin and yang) and the view of the world expressed in this tale. Its spiritual metaphors and philosophies gradually made their way into his work and his life.
Dust before the wind – AKM, 2016-2017
Paper, pencil, colored pencil, velvet, wood panel, acrylic case
19 3/4 x 51 1/4 x 17 3/4 in
50 x 130 x 45 cm
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Lelooska
by Alec Demarco
Alec Demarco has been heavily influenced by indigenous culture. He grew up in one of the few places on the planet where indigenous people carved Totem Poles and still do so today. Their totems frequently depict animals, people, and events that they care about.
His “Lelooska” painting was inspired by a specific totem pole in the Pacific Northwest. The title translates, “He who cuts against wood,” and it is the last name of a First Nations Chief from an area close to where Demarco lived and worked for 8 months in 2022. The artist used to go to a restaurant on the Columbia River while living in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Outside the restaurant was the largest Totem Pole in the world, carved by Chief Lelooska. The 140-foot-tall totem was carved from a 700-year-old tree harvested from the area. The horns on the totem represent the bull from Ferdinand the Bull, his favorite childhood story. When he was a kid, his father would always call him Ferdinand as a joke, but he always took it as a huge compliment. In a way, this painting is like Demarco’s own totem but inspired by things that he considers to be special.
