Marie Claire by Degann

Degann is a painter based in Amsterdam. Her paintings and watercolours are vivid and aesthetically liable images that sometimes disguise an atrabilious element. Mental vulnerability and transience are central themes in the work. The multiple layers in the paintings create an elusive form. Like light, the works are simultaneously fleeting and present. This corresponds with her perception of paintings as breathing organisms. Over the last three years, Degann has been working on a series of watercolours of Marie Claire.

“Marie Claire is a both a girl and the embodiment of a time period. She is best described by this citation: “The futility with which Marie Claire hauls herself through the day, avenges itself in the hours of the night. She is not tired, but is haunted by the realisation that it is time for her to grow up, apprehending that she has been desperately holding on to her carefree childhood. She has been falling asleep with her eyes open and longs to dream with her eyes shut, just as they are when she laughs whole-heartedly.” During this period, I have only been painting her head, time and time again trying to get closer to the crux of her as a person epitomizing a certain period of time. Limiting myself to a small framework and using watercolours resulted in a battle with water, in which it has been key to find out to what extent I can control the medium and how I can anticipate contingencies. I am always wondering when to leave the paper alone, when it is breathing just enough.”

Contact:

www.degann.com

Instagram: @degann89