“Nessus and Dejanira plus Koko the Clown”
120 x 150 cm, Acrylic on PVC, 2018
In this bold and irreverent work, “Nessus and Dejanira plus Koko the Clown,” the artist plays with classical and contemporary references to create a composition that is both chaotic and captivating. The canvas depicts a scene inspired by Greek mythology: the centaur Nessus abducting Dejanira, a theme often depicted in classical art. However, the artist disrupts this mythological scene with modern and unexpected elements, blurring the lines between eras and styles.
Dejanira's bust is deliberately pixelated, an artistic gesture that evokes modern censorship and the blurring of nudity in contemporary media. This graphic choice immediately catches the viewer's attention, emphasizing the tension between admiration for classical form and modern sensitivity to nudity and decency.
Overlaid, a large blue stroke snakes through the composition, creating a vivid contrast with the more classical tones of the background. This abstract intervention, almost childlike in its execution, adds a dimension of spontaneity and rebellion, defying the seriousness of historical art.
Additionally, the inclusion of Koko the Clown , a figure from classic animation, heightens the effect of anachronism and cultural dissonance. Koko, depicted holding an axe as if in a cartoon, is captured in a moment of cartoonish suspension, his playful, unreal appearance contrasting sharply with the mythological drama of the scene. This blend of hand-drawn elements and early animation art adds another level of dialogue between the worlds of traditional and popular art.
The work, with its mix of historical references and modern graphics, challenges our perception of art and myth. It plays with notions of seriousness and frivolity, highlighting the fluidity of visual culture across time. Through this collision of eras and styles, the artist invites us to rethink our relationship with the visual narratives that have shaped our understanding of history and culture.
“Nessus and Dejanira plus Koko the Clown” is thus a playful meditation on the appropriation and transformation of classic narratives in the context of modern culture, reminding the viewer that art is both a conversation with the past and a constant reinvention of the present.
