David Claerbout Birdcage (explosion white cancels colour perception), 2023-2024
Ink, pastel and gouache on paper
115 x 110 cm (45 1/4 x 43 1/4 in) (unframed)
122,8 x 117,8 x 4,7 cm (48 3/8 x 46 3/8 x 1 7/8 in) (framed)
122,8 x 117,8 x 4,7 cm (48 3/8 x 46 3/8 x 1 7/8 in) (framed)
The work belongs to a series of sketches made by David Claerbout in
conjunction with his 2023 video work Birdcage. In the video, Birdcage,
an explosion shatters the tranquility of a picturesque garden, creating a
sense of urgency in a potentially serene setting. The silent explosion
is captured in a long, muted shot, placing the viewer in a conflicted
position to visually appreciate this scene of destruction.
David Claerbout's drawings are an integral part of his practice. Each of his projects is accompanied by a small number of drawings that function as a combination of preparatory studies, notes resulting from the film's shootings, and reminders of conceptual issues arising throughout the production. Claerbout describes the work as "winter work," as he typically stops working on the drawing in the spring and begins again in fall. According to him: “drawing was what I was best at for putting ideas on paper.” More than simple tools or preparatory sketches, they transcribe onto paper the duration of images—therefore time—through the depiction of movement and film editing.
Birdcage is an extension of David Claerbout's preoccupation with perception, cognition, time, and temporality. Exploring how our perception actively composes the world we inhabit, the work's imagery alludes to the surrealist painter René Magritte's series Empire of Lights which subtly juxtaposed in one image lighting conditions commonly seen during day and night time.
David Claerbout's drawings are an integral part of his practice. Each of his projects is accompanied by a small number of drawings that function as a combination of preparatory studies, notes resulting from the film's shootings, and reminders of conceptual issues arising throughout the production. Claerbout describes the work as "winter work," as he typically stops working on the drawing in the spring and begins again in fall. According to him: “drawing was what I was best at for putting ideas on paper.” More than simple tools or preparatory sketches, they transcribe onto paper the duration of images—therefore time—through the depiction of movement and film editing.
Birdcage is an extension of David Claerbout's preoccupation with perception, cognition, time, and temporality. Exploring how our perception actively composes the world we inhabit, the work's imagery alludes to the surrealist painter René Magritte's series Empire of Lights which subtly juxtaposed in one image lighting conditions commonly seen during day and night time.