themes and memes in contemporary iconography
Our next vortex is a human iris, painted by Marc Quinn, with super-photorealist precision. Quinn is most famous for his self-portrait bust composed of his own frozen blood (“Self” 2006).
Here the gaze of the viewer is directly returned. It is a classic (psychological) vortex – threatening and dizzying but baring a scientific presence. It is an investigation, an examination, possibly a post-mortem. And by being so huge, it reduces the viewer to laboratory object, petri-dish (in)significance.
And it is blind. The eye of the storm – the vortex – is blind. It sees nothing. The black hole of the soul.
Marc Quinn “We Share our Chemistry with the Stars (EWR 170 Iris)”, hand-painted oil on canvas, Ø 66 15/16 in. (Ø 170 cm), 2010
© Marc Quinn (photo: Todd-White Art Photography, courtesy White Cube)
Next in Vortex: Laurent Grasso
Also in Vortex: Bai Yiluo | Laurent Grasso
