Work

And Everything Had Beautiful Sense That Never Was and Ever More

Caption

2010
oil on linen
40 x 50 cm
Collection Mariângela Ometto Rolim

Artist

By

Text

And Everything Had Beautiful Sense That Never Was and Ever More by Flavia Metzler does not shy from being magnificent.

The artist uses a combination of methods to entice the spectator, including, but not confined to: shades of blue; a 19th century intricate and decadent pattern; a mysterious light which enters through a wall, passing through a red lamp and ending in the crystal. The light, which passes through the red lamp in the form of a heart, seems to be filled with mystical connotations; a sky blue halo behind the man in a suit resembles angel wings, all the more so as the arms are not visible. The long title, which penetrates the whole image with its own invisible and absurd light, but filled with good intentions, is like the global and harmonious flight of the hummingbird, full of humour, an absurd composition of these different elements: the unexpected expression on the man’s face, which appears a little distressed, like an innocent gangster from a New Wave French film;

the way in which the legs create sensual curves; the creases on the man’s trousers and jacket; lastly, how the star looks like an eye which could open into an Eye of Providence only seeing the beauty in things, in a generous, but not irresponsible way.

Yet, each charm is at risk of failure. Flavia Metzler toys with our expectations and deliberately creates a Surrealist painting 80 years on. Her work is constructed from images generated from the past, like someone who speaks beautifully with chosen quotes. It is a delicate balance. She trusts hers intuition and boldly forges ahead by using the past like a child, surprise blending with fear.

 

Translated from french by Louise Jablonowska