Picture this: Erwan Maheo
Erwan Maheo presents his latest work, Episode, for Picture This, an immense curtain measuring 15 meters long consisting of two parts. The piece provides a panoramic overview of the most significant works he has created so far. The works are presented as floating elements in the black space of the canvas, resembling autonomous islands. Although Maheo’s work initially appears highly varied (including drawings, installations, videos, and patchwork), there is a great homogeneity when viewed from a distance. The concept of islands is crucial to the artist (he himself is from Belle-île in Brittany). The curtain becomes a map of his body of work, and all the islands together form his world.
The black curtain fills the entire space. The bottom strip blends into the color of the floor, turning the curtain into an extension of the space. On the other hand, unlike a tightly stretched canvas, the curtain is modifiable and allows for passage. It creates a border that one can cross. Walking through it, one undergoes a kind of ‘rite of passage’: entering another world. While the front of the curtain is black, Maheo has chosen to cover the back with a pink fabric. The pink symbolizes the inner aspect, turning the curtain into the boundary between the intimacy of confinement and the exterior. For the performance on January 29, Erwan Maheo has a pregnant woman sing, dressed in a blue dress designed by the artist himself, referencing Piero della Francesca’s “Madone del Parto.” This fresco depicts a pregnant Mary, flanked by two angels drawing aside a curtain. Bruno di Rosa wrote the text for the performance. By collaborating with other artists, Maheo aims to blend different creations (i.e., the curtain, the text, the song) together before they can each go their separate ways.
For the realization of the curtain, Erwan Maheo worked for three weeks in a textile workshop in India. Drawings and photos of his work were translated into embroidery. The significant Indian textile tradition with its specific texture and color greatly influenced the work. During a previous trip to Brazil, he had also been inspired by the uniqueness of Brazilian fabrics. In Episode, the mix of these influences can be traced.
For the composition of Episode, he drew inspiration from the panoramas of Paolo Ucello. This Italian Renaissance artist used different vanishing points for constructing perspective. By giving each scene its own perspective, he created a more natural and dynamic whole. At the center of Erwan Maheo’s curtain are figures with a model on their heads. The figures view the space from the inside - at eye level - rather than from above, as is customary.
