Diptych 03: Thomas & Daniel – “Enter Life More Fully”
“Enter Life More Fully”
2018 mixed media on canvas
200 x 180 cm - Diptych
200 x 90 cm - Panel
by Angel Correa
“I love those who yearn for the impossible.” - J. W. von Goethe
Technique and materials used
Mixed media on canvas (black and white printed cotton fabric): Acrylic, vinyl paint, medium, gesso, charcoal powder, water-based ink, permanent-ink marker, and matte varnish
Description of the work
I found myself, at times, frantically working on this diptych, adding colour to the very busy pattern of the fabric, and transitioning the palette from warm to cold, placing yellow and green together. Doing so gave me the perfect chance to bring in the black and white couple’s silhouettes, landing with a thud onto that powerful backdrop.
I love the artist Seans Cully’s big blocks of colour; his work communicates to me that a simple composition can be all the more powerful and inspiring because of its simplicity. I’ve used an array of brushes to paint these guys, ‘Thomas & Daniel’, both of whom were shot and killed when camping in the woods somewhere in America. I have always a desire to create paintings which are resonant of social and cultural antecedents.
This artwork is special to me because it was whilst painting this pieces that I understood on a visceral level my reason to feel the need to sustain my energy and work toward something that is likely to resonate with others. The realisation came to me that I genuinely get engaged with and jump into an unusual way of describing things. I’ve really enjoyed giving character to my paintings, i.e., choosing also their names from a longlist of the most popular names in different countries around the world.
I realised that I harboured an inclination to, in this case, create a bold piece of art representing my polarised concept of ‘death vs life’ through the story of two men who were in love. When finished, and looking at them from a distance, I remembered J. W. von Goethe’s words: “I love those who yearn for the impossible.” I like a lot about this painting, especially that it is bold in its masculine anatomy; vibrant and sexy. It’s a great piece of adventurous art for the ardent owner.