Alex-Silvia
Alex-Silvia
(2019), 84 x 59.5 cm, N° 1/1
Gallery Print on Acrylic glass
About Alex-Silvia
Alex is full of contradictions. It's contrasting colors immediately draw the viewer to think more deeply about Alex. The character is shocked and surprised by the world before them. The unfinished eyes symbolize a certain missing component of Alex, one that has yet to be identified. The face is taking in all that it sees, viewing the world with awe. Alex questions its surroundings with an open mouth, unafraid to challenge the status quo. To many, the figure appears to be wearing a green cap. Others, however, view Alex as wearing a cap or a bow. Nonetheless, the sharp pink feminine background serves as an ideal contrast to the more masculine seeming colors that build the main facial features of the art work.
Silvia’s once unconfident self is now being ushered into a new style. Silvia’s colors are genderless, as is the character. The bow, one of the few elements throughout the collection that is shaded, seemingly suggests that Silvia is female. However, the figure breaks gender norms through the blue coloring and more broad stature. Silvia is confident with its loudmouthed orange smile. The character's one-of-a-kind heart-shaped eyes surrounded by a calming light blue coloring present an inner peace and happiness within. The soft gray background is set to demonstrate that Silvia's past life, though gray, has now been outweighed by the bright colors that it is composed of.
Alex:Silvia;
written by the BollagArt team
The art piece in question was created by the Swiss artist Olivier Bollag, who is known for his colorful faces that bring joy and happiness to the viewer. Bollag's art is centered around topics such as happiness, joy, facial expression, color psychology, and mental health, and he strives to reduce complex faces to simple lines and forms, evoking emotions of happiness and joy in the viewer. The diptych features two characters, Alex and Silvia, who represent different states of mind, and their personalities are conveyed through various features of the artwork.
Alex's portrait, located on the left side of the diptych, immediately draws the viewer's attention with its contrasting colors. The character's facial expression appears to be one of surprise, and the lack of visual information about what triggered this reaction allows for interpretation. Alex's eyes seem to view the world with awe, and his open mouth suggests a fearlessness in questioning his surroundings and challenging the status quo. The character's unfinished eye shape may be interpreted as a reference to the number 6 or to another person whose name begins with the letter G. While many viewers perceive Alex as wearing a green cap, others argue that his hair is actually painted green, which would reflect his non-conformist personality. The sharp pink background serves as an ideal contrast to the more masculine colors that build the main facial features of the artwork.
Silvia's portrait, located on the right side of the diptych, shares similar personality features with Alex but has a more feminine personality. Silvia's unconventional hair color establishes a tacit relationship with Alex's portrait, as her pink hair communicates with the pink background in Alex's portrait. Her protruding eyes symbolize an insatiable need to discover new things and meet new people, and her heart-shaped irises encapsulate her intense passion for life and shyness. Silvia's long profile resembles a quarter of a moon, and the two white hearts reflecting in her eyes give her a mysterious aura. Her profile position suggests that she is an introverted individual, but her sense of style is mature and powerful. The play on colors in Silvia's character confuses the viewer about her gender, and her loudmouthed orange smile conveys confidence and self-sufficiency. The calming light blue coloring around her heart-shaped eyes represents inner peace and happiness, while the soft gray background serves to demonstrate that her past life, though gray, has now been outweighed by the bright colors that make up her character.
Together, Alex and Silvia's portraits present two inspiring personalities whose inner features generate a fascinating psychological profile of the artist and the potential owner of the diptych. Alex's character is curious, restless, brave, and has an inquisitive mind, while Silvia is confident and self-sufficient yet shy and mysterious. While Alex may be perceived as a childish and even naive character, Silvia's introverted nature seems to project a mysterious gaze toward Alex, which may be understood as a visual trick to convey that Silvia's own psyche integrates Alex's character traits. The diptych challenges gender norms through a subtle play on the background color, as the artist challenges our gendered associations of pink and blue.
In conclusion, Olivier Bollag's art piece represents a captivating exploration of facial expression and emotion, conveying themes of happiness, joy, and mental health. The diptych's two characters, Alex and Silvia, are complex and engaging, challenging traditional gender norms and presenting a fascinating psychological profile for the viewer. The art piece's contrasting colors and unfinished features immediately draw the viewer's attention, and the subtle details and references throughout the artwork serve to engage and intrigue the viewer further. Overall, the diptych is a testament to Bollag's talent as an artist, his ability.