I got an invitation to visit “Infinite” by Sophie de Saint Phalle (perpetua1010), her newest exhibtion shwm at her own SUBCUTAN Art Gallery and Multimedia Center. The exhibition opened January 31st, I visited just before the offical opening.
“Infinite” is not at the main platform of the SUBCUTAN Art Gallery and Multimedia Center. If you happen to land there you need to take one ot the Teleport pads to get to the Desert Gallery, just 250m above. The setting of “Infinite” is quite impressive. It is an open arrangement of blocks and domes in different earth and sand colours, perfectly fitting to the desert around it.
“Infinite” poster / First impressions of “Infinite” by Sophie de Saint Phalle at SUBCUTAN Art Gallery and Multimedia Center – Desert Gallery
In the center of the exhibtion is a sculpture named “Lespugue” by ЈίΡε (jipe.loon) and a few opportunities to sit and meet, not far away is the dj desk and the area for the opening event of “Infinite“.
The Desert Gallery extends in all four cardinal direction and each section has a seperate theme, two sections are in brown/bronze colour, two in sand/beige colours – and the exhibited art fits to these colours. Some sculptures are catching the visitor’s eye and attention, and they fit to Sophie’s main subjects and themes. “Faustino Bloom M” by Deo Faustino (deofaustino) shows a human who s drwn down by a big stone – a reminder of Sophie’s central theme “Escape”, the other named “Venus von Willendorf” by ЈίΡε (jipe.loon) stands for Sophie’s erotic art.
Impressions of “Infinite” by Sophie de Saint Phalle / “Faustino Bloom M” by Deo Faustino (deofaustino)
The brown/bronze sections show pictures most probably made of sand, terracotta, bones or ash that barely contrast with background, they show fossiles or are simply abstract.
Impressions of “Infinite” by Sophie de Saint Phalle (1)
The other brown/bronze section shows also a face (or what you see in it) and a full body. I like the view trough the central scuplture on the exhibition.
One of the beige/sand section has some ligther abstract pictures, in the other you see pictures like in the brown/bronze section, just contrasting to the background – and that makes a real difference!
I saw some of the pictures already before in Sophie de Saint Phalle’s exhibition Terra Australis in 2020 (read here). Sophie spent some time in Australia and she could watch the Aboriginals painting. The pictures were created at Sophie’s home though and not in Australia. As Sophie told me, they all are quite large in reality. The technique is also inspired by how the Aboriginals paint using sand, plaster, natural glue, pigments, terracotta, bones, pulverized charcoal and other natural colours. The motifs sprang from Sophie’s imagination, many of them remind me personally of fossils.
Impressions of “Infinite” by Sophie de Saint Phalle (2)
Sophie de Saint Phalle (perpetua1010) is a Austrian RL painter and book author. She mainly paints nude from models and abstract art. She loves to experiment with different kinds of paint and lithography. Her favourite materials are sand, plaster, glue, terracotta, stones, bones, ash, charcoal, natural pigments and more.
Sophie has made several book illustrations and was for many years political cartoonist for a well known satire magazine. She lived and worked in the United States, Australia, Rome and Monaco. Sophie de Saint Phalle (perpetua1010) has an own gallery, The “SUBCUTAN Art Gallery and Multimedia Centre”.
The Desert Gallery itself is very artful and offeres great views. I took quite some pictures – a perfect mixture of architecture, nature, art and fantasy.
Impressions of “Infinite” by Sophie de Saint Phalle / different views at the Desert Gallery
Thank you for another great exhibition, Sophie. I enjoyed my visit and the great set-up of the Desert Gallery.
direct Landmark to SUBCUTAN Art Gallery and Multimedia Center – Desert Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ocean%20Island/147/185/1256
Landmark to SUBCUTAN Art Gallery and Multimedia Center
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ocean%20Island/185/92/1002
Diomita Maurer’s Blog 