Spoudaiogeloion, 2015
Information about the artwork
- MaterialAcrylic, pencil, and rice paste on canvas
- Dimensions209.5 x 198 cm
- Year of acquisition2015
- Inventory numberUAB 1026
- On viewCurrently not exhibited
More about the artwork
The long title of the work, Spoudaiogeloion, derives from Greek and is a combination of the words for “serious” (spoudaion) and “comical” (geloion). The term refers to a literary genre that stylistically fuses these two opposites. Spoudaiogeloion first appeared in Greek comedy, where serious political and ethical issues were wrapped up in comical plays. Today's satire also stems from this origin.
Charline von Heyl’s paintings also combine visual elements with contrasting moods. Thus, the background of the image is defined by matte, pastel, almost transparent color fields that, drawn over with pencil in places, evoke associations with individual body parts or even a face. Yellow and orange painted abstract forms dance above, some of them with a continuous dot or diamond pattern. Two sickle-shaped black forms emerge from the center of the collage-like composition and carry a white and a red star on their tips, perhaps the punchlines of the piece. The various shapes and patterns, as well as the superimposition of different visual elements and layers, are part of the painterly vocabulary with which von Heyl creates her precisely composed works.
