Remediation in Art

Remediation in art, is the act of transferring affects of one medium onto another. Recently I have been painting acrylic wood panel paintings laser carved with halftone pattern of circles and diamonds, of the classical sculpture ‘Three Graces’. This work of art and subject matter has been explored and depicted in dozens of paintings and sculptures, from artists like Peter Paul Rubens, Rapahael, Boticelli, who all took up this motif to express notions about pleasure and relationships with one another. That these disciplines are embodied as female, just goes to show how women have historically been stuck between allegory and a hard place.

Although the subject matter of ‘three graces’ is rooted in Greek mythology, what can these age old tropes of charm, beauty and creativity embody for us now at this current time?

The all around views of ‘Three Graces’ that I have been drawing and painting recently, looks at the connection and relationship of photography and sculpture, and in particular the methods and ways that archaeologists in the 19th century released photographs 360 degree panoramic views to reveal and show the physical tangible whole. This method of archaeological illustrations creates an illusion of dimensionality, an image revolving in space.

To conclude my reflections on works in progress at my studio, here’s something Italo Calvino wrote: “A classic is something that persists as a background noise even when the most incompatible momentary concerns are in control of the situation.”