TWO NATURES

Two Natures, 2014

Acrylic/ thixotropic alkyd/ canvas

ready-made

110 x 110 cm, 30 x 30 cm

 

There are four archetypes of the mature masculine - the king, the warrior, the magician and the lover, besides the modern society believes that a man has to embody all of them. The 'stronger sex' also has to be the breadwinner in the family. His goal is to get to the very top, since failing would mean emptiness. It is the material word, that makes him the perfect man, husband and father. 

 

The role of a woman is multifaceted - she can be anything from a good wife, a loving mother or a great employee to an incredible lover. If a woman choose to become a careerist, some of the roles imposed by the society simply cannot be accomplished, since all the energy has to be focused on work. Eventually she gets lost in the maze of the many roles, finding fulfilment neither in her personal life, nor at work.

 

In order to present the different roles of men  and women in society, I combined dadaism, surrealism, abstract expressionism and tachisme. Two tools were used to create the painting - a toilet brush and a toilet suction pump. The brush stands for a woman , whereas the pump - for a man. The imprints of both tools were merged into one plane in order to achieve the graphic quality of the painting. 

 

The pump creates a circle in the middle of the painting, representing a strong man  with his own opinion and goal to to rise to the upper rungs of the career lader. The circle symbolises harmony, health, completeness and safety. The surrounding parts of the painting were drawn with the toilet brush, portraying the role of a woman - to be accessible, where accessibility stands for emotionality, excitement and chaos. 

 

'Two Natures' was made especially for the exhibition 'You Art a Woman' (Latvian: 'Sievietei būt').

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Photographer: Didzis Grodzs

Movie director: Rolands Briedis