The artwork titled “Figure XXI” is a creation by artist Fabien Delaube, completed in the year 2022. This piece is crafted using acrylic on canvas and measures 31.5 by 23.6 inches. It falls under the genre of portraiture and is influenced by the minimalism art movement. The portrait exudes a sense of reductive aesthetic, attempting to distill the complexity of human features to essential forms and colors.
Upon examining the artwork, one encounters a striking juxtaposition of two halves that create a visual discourse between detail and simplicity, chaos and order. The left side of the portrait showcases a vibrant collage of colors and textures, suggesting an abstract representation teeming with emotional depth and complexity. It gives the impression of a surface marked by the passage of time, its history etched in layers of paint that blur and overlap.
In stark contrast, the right side is dominated by a bold, red mask-like shape with clean, white accents underscoring its curvilinear structure. This side exudes a polished, almost graphic quality with its smooth, unblemished surface. The eye and lips on both sides align perfectly, creating continuity across the dichotomy and infusing the artwork with a human essence that connects both disparate elements.
The background is rendered in neutral, muted tones, which seem to recede, providing a tranquil canvas against which the drama of the two faces unfolds. The interplay of light and shadow further enhances the three-dimensional illusion of depth and contour on the face.
In summary, “Figure XXI” is an evocative piece that engages the viewer in a dialogue about identity, the self, and the varying layers that comprise a person, both seen and unseen. Through the minimalistic approach, Delaube encourages introspection and personal interpretation, allowing the viewer to project their own thoughts and emotions onto the canvas.
