Blood lacque 013

Horizontal cracks and crevices run across a monochrome black surface in patterns recalling the altered texture and appearance of old varnish. Surprisingly, these material effects are created by superimposing coats of horse blood, which turns dark and opaque when dry.

Edith Dekyndt continues her exploration of empirical, unconventional painting. The artist’s visual, almost alchemical, experiments lead her to use a wide range of materials and to raise them to a level of contemplative and reflexive purity. In this case, she summons up an organic material with a symbolic meaning, seeking to confront us with the inescapable transformation of the living. This approach is part of a reflection based on the notion of wilderness, the wild nature that both subjugates and must be controlled, stemming from the naturalist currents of thought in the 19th century.

Blood Lacque 013 was made during the Pinault Collection’s second artist’s residency in Lens. It has since been added to its collections. It will be exhibited for the first time during the “Au-delà de la couleur ("Beyond Colour") show at the Couvent des Jacobins in Rennes in June 2021.