“Mercurial 08”

Arthur Hofmann. “Mercurial 08”, 2020. Spray paint on canvas, 100 x 80 cm. 2,000 Euros

ARTHUR HOFMANN.

In his Espace Illusoire series (2020), the painting becomes an object stretched between its physical presence in the space we share and the screen it opens for our gaze. The colored areas do not refer so much to a form of abstraction as to an optical game that negotiates with reality.

Diffused with an aerosol, the pigments produce a velvety texture on the surface which accentuates the effect of hypnotic blur. The latter updates the sfumato and refers to the Gaussian blur of image processing software.

In addition, between the acidity of the edges in fluorescent hues and the chromatic indefiniteness of the center of the canvas, the artist plays with both analog and digital references. He therefore invites us both to a contemplative visual experience and to reflect on the increasingly porous boundaries between material and virtual reality.