David Claerbout Eagle Eye (drawing double portrait morning midnight light), 2026
Ink, pastel and gouache on paper
91,5 x 69 cm (36 x 27 1/8 in) (unframed)
98,5 x 76 x 3,5 cm (38 3/4 x 29 7/8 x 1 3/8 in) (framed)
98,5 x 76 x 3,5 cm (38 3/4 x 29 7/8 x 1 3/8 in) (framed)
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.
This work refers to David Claerbout's new film Eagle Eye which over the course of several continuous hours observes an immobilized but awake bald eagle positioned on a surgical theater and seen from various points of view. The work draws on multiple associations with the animal: The Eagle typically has one of the sharpest focal apparatuses found in nature. Its anatomy is distinct: A unique double eyelid keeps the eye open and moist while maintaining eyesight. Indeed, the eagle's eye conveys a sense of constant scrutiny of its surroundings including the visitor in front of the screen all the while being incapacitated for bodily movement or action.
A reference, found in a drawing made for the work, is the famous painting by Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Marat from 1793 depicting the bathtub stabbing of Jean-Paul Marat in July 1793 by a twenty-four-year-old noblewoman from Normandy, Charlotte Corday. The controversial revolutionary figure was instantly memorialized after his death and Corday vilified and executed after a hasty trial. David's painting was instrumental in securing Marat a place in the history of the French Revolution. Another drawing includes a reference to the recent assassination attempt against President Donald Trump.
This work refers to David Claerbout's new film Eagle Eye which over the course of several continuous hours observes an immobilized but awake bald eagle positioned on a surgical theater and seen from various points of view. The work draws on multiple associations with the animal: The Eagle typically has one of the sharpest focal apparatuses found in nature. Its anatomy is distinct: A unique double eyelid keeps the eye open and moist while maintaining eyesight. Indeed, the eagle's eye conveys a sense of constant scrutiny of its surroundings including the visitor in front of the screen all the while being incapacitated for bodily movement or action.
A reference, found in a drawing made for the work, is the famous painting by Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Marat from 1793 depicting the bathtub stabbing of Jean-Paul Marat in July 1793 by a twenty-four-year-old noblewoman from Normandy, Charlotte Corday. The controversial revolutionary figure was instantly memorialized after his death and Corday vilified and executed after a hasty trial. David's painting was instrumental in securing Marat a place in the history of the French Revolution. Another drawing includes a reference to the recent assassination attempt against President Donald Trump.
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