Feather of Eternity

For this series of paintings, Théo Viardin finds inspiration in the concept of eternity. The figures in his paintings represent a civilization to whom we cannot attribute a precise location in time or space. On the one hand, the massive and sculptural bodies refer to a concept of primitivism - for the marked stylization and deformation of natural bodies, the alteration of proportions, the desire to ignore the data of reality in order to seek more archaic and universal dimensions. But at the same time, Théo Viardin’s figures seem to arrive from the future: an alien people or a hyperhumanized civilization from an other time. This dual identity represents for the artist the perfect synthesis of the concept of eternity and the cyclical nature of existence. As a fetish of this concept, the artist includes in the series the symbol of the feather. According to Egyptian mythology indeed, after death the souls are placed on a scales and, only if as light as the feather placed as a counterweight, they can enter the eternal world. The canvases in the exhibition are conceived as a sequence of scenes representing this civilization as groups of people sharing a common eternal existence. Paradoxically, however, it is surprising how each figure is lonely in the group and never looks each other in the eye. Personally I like to see it as the desire to reaffirm the identity of the individual within the group, with which shares an infinite time. To conclude, I invite you to observe the evolution of the artist’s technique - of which this series constitutes the clear achievement. The artist has always worked with shades of cold or warm tones instead. This latest series, however, is a masterpiece that plays with blues and reds simultaneously, masterfully controlling the transition from one to the other. The result is even more vibrant figures, sculptures of light and shadow transposed to canvas like emotional bodies.