Francien Krieg - Outside the Given

This work is a wood relief with an irregular, cut-out contour. Through the use of trompe-l’oeil — literally ‘deceiving the eye’ — parts of the face and the surround seem to lie at different depths. Shadows, edges and overlaps evoke the impression of protruding fragments and recessed planes. Thus the portrait takes on the character of a spatial wall object. The image refers to classical European portrait painting, but breaks its unity. The face and the frame seem to slide apart. What normally holds a portrait together becomes, here, part of the estrangement. With these works I investigate how the image of women is formed by ideals of beauty and expectations. The frame also stands for the context within which someone is expected to fit. The face does not entirely conform to it: it remains present, but cannot be easily captured.

Estimation:€1,200

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