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In Absence
after Veridical (#bathroom Selfies) - an Ekphrasis
Collaboration with C. L. Costello
These pieces came about after chatting with a new friend and colleague at work. As it urns out workplace conversations can lead to interesting projects. In our conversation this idea of ekphrasis was mentioned. I had not heard of it. It’s a Greek word and the basic idea is that a writer can, with rhetorical flourish, describe so thoroughly and vividly a work of visual art as replace it.
This notion of written text of a visual work being a suitable substitute is fascinating, especially given what I try and do in my work, replace the internet with something real.
For the collaboration I needed to find some images to paint and then become ekphrasized (you’re welcome for the fun invented word).
Few things speak to the absurd reality of our contemporary existence as the bathroom selfie. They are filled with ideas of desire, beauty, intimacy, privacy, and so many absurd social conventions. I picked 3 bathroom selfies from Instagram. Sent those Instagram posts along with the 3 paintings I made of those images to be written about and “replaced”.
The idea here is a kind “ekphrasis” on two models of an image. One being a traditional “fine art” done in a way that mostly does away with the traditional inherent value of the medium, i.e. the way I paint, and the other being “contemporary image production”, that some may view as more effective and “honest”. Both equally absurd. The text is a type of bridge between something and nothing.
I am showing the ekphrasis only and empty boxes representing the paintings.
In Absence/ after Veridical (#bathroom Selfies) - an Ekphrasis
A Collaboration with C. L. Costello
Click on galleries for more images
C.L. Costello In Absence/ after Veridical (#bathroom Selfie 4, Nahla.Swim)- an Ekphrasis
Framed Text 2, framed 25 in by 35.75 in, text pages 2020 to 2021
C.L. Costello In Absence/ after Veridical (#bathroom Selfie 2, Mimi_Inked)- an Ekphrasis
Framed Text 3, framed 25 in by 35.75 in, text pages 2020 to 2021
C.L. Costello In Absence/ after Veridical (#bathroom Selfie 2, Rahnaaron)- an Ekphrasis
Framed Text 3, framed 25 in by 35.75 in, text pages 2020 to 2021
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