Uri-Ruedi
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(2019), 84 x 59.5 cm, N° 1/1
Gallery Print on Acrylic glass
About Uri-Ruedi
Uri is a favorite piece amongst students and psychologists alike. Look at the work, what do you see? Is Uri happy? Sad? This incredibly unique piece has a strong contrast of emotions embedded in one simple, unifying picture. Consider the eyes, note how they slope upward, almost as if they are squinting. Compare that with the mouth, which can be seen in two ways. For some, the mouth may be seen as smiling, fabricating a face that is content with its life. To others, the face is upset and the mouth is nothing but a frown. The delicate balance of this piece is truly what makes it so special. The juxtaposition of emotions creates a certain duality, allowing the viewer to feel a number of emotions about Uri. Similarly, with the eyes and mouth, carefully examine the upper region of the piece. Bollag, in this instance, chose to not have a defined start or end to the forehead region of Uri. This prevents the viewer from having a clear image of the forehead area. It again demonstrates the two main states that Uri can be viewed. Perhaps, Uri's hair is messy and wild, demonstrating a certain confidence that he projects to the world. Perhaps, the lines on the top of Uri's head are wrinkles that all come together to meet in the center, showing that Uri is upset. What else do you observe? Inspect next the coloration that Bollag has chosen. Blue is a calming color. It's expansive and flowy as if it was an entire ocean. The top of his head, however, is filled with purple, orange, and red, symbolizing a sunset on the water. This seemingly unorganized cluster of colors shows the chaos within the endless emotions inside Uri. Uri does not have just one emotion but has a spectrum of emotions that is never ending - like the colors that were chosen to represent it.
Ruedi is a fascinating character who posseses a different background than the rest of the faces. Within Ruedi, there are contrasting colors in the bright face with a noticeably black background. This concept was utilized to demonstrate the dark past that Ruedi has experienced. Ruedi is full of incongruities. The mouth depicts the two possible ways in which Ruedi's path could continue. If it chooses to allow the darkness to come through, the frown will prevail. Whereas, with the three strong primary colors, Ruedi is capable of achieving a bright and colorful future. The eyes are triangles, a small, sharp shape representative of the sheer force that has built up to block the darkness behind the figure. The background is not shown, though it follows the character closely. The eyes wish to break out of the piece, and leave the darkness in the past. Throughout Ruedi's face, there are green dots of hope scattered amongst the wavy lines. These dots signify potential starting points from which a new foundation can grow. As with Ruedi's life, there isn't a straight path to the future, and there are various possible positive futures Ruedi can create if it just believes. Ruedi must begin by recognizing the options and opportunities that life has presented.
Uri:Ruedi;
written by the BollagArt team
The artwork under discussion is the Uri-Ruedi diptych, created by Swiss artist Olivier Bollag, who is known for his colorful faces that bring smiles to the viewer. The art pieces aim to evoke happiness and joy while exploring the essence of the faces and their emotions. The Uri-Ruedi diptych is a fascinating representation of day and night, with Uri's portrait representing daytime and Ruedi's representing nighttime. Both portraits invite contemplation about the nature of emotions and interpretation.
Uri's portrait is unique in that it has a strong contrast of emotions embedded in one simple picture. The delicate balance of the piece is what makes it special. Uri's squinting eyes slope upward, creating an effect of contentment or contempt. His mouth can be seen as either smiling or frowning, fabricating a face that is content with life or upset. The forehead is undefined, allowing for different interpretations. Perhaps Uri's hair is messy and wild, demonstrating a certain confidence projected to the world. Alternatively, the lines on the top of Uri's head could represent wrinkles that come together to meet in the center, showing that Uri is upset. The artist chose a color palette that includes blue, purple, orange, and red, symbolizing the chaos that characterizes Uri's emotions. The blue lines used to represent Uri's face open new spaces of interpretation, as blue represents meanings of depth, trust, loyalty, sincerity, wisdom, confidence, stability, faith, and intelligence.
Ruedi's portrait is equally unconventional. The artwork sketches the portrait with several lines that give the piece an almost abstract aesthetic. Ruedi's bright face contrasts with a noticeably black background, representing both the night and a potentially dark past. The mouth depicts the two possible ways in which Ruedi's path could continue, either choosing to allow darkness to prevail or embracing a bright and colorful future. The eyes are triangles, a small, sharp shape representative of the sheer force that has built up to block the darkness behind the figure. Throughout Ruedi's face, there are green dots of hope scattered amongst the wavy lines, signifying potential starting points from which a new foundation can grow. The background is not shown, though it follows the character closely. The eyes wish to break out of the piece, leaving the darkness in the past. As with Ruedi's life, there isn't a straight path to the future, and there are various possible positive futures Ruedi can create if it just believes.
Both portraits explore the theme of emotions, with the artist aiming to reduce complex faces to simple lines and forms to evoke happiness and joy. The Uri-Ruedi diptych represents a spectrum of emotions, from the chaos that characterizes Uri's emotions to the potential starting points from which a new foundation can grow in Ruedi's portrait. The use of colors, lines, and shapes is a testament to Bollag's expertise in color psychology and mental health. His aim is to use his art to inspire people to look beyond the surface and appreciate the essence of the faces and their emotions.
The Uri-Ruedi diptych's connection to positivity, happiness, and eagerness to explore the world lies in its ability to evoke a spectrum of emotions, ranging from contentment to hope, and everything in between. The delicate balance of emotions embedded in one simple picture invites the viewer to contemplate the nature of emotions and interpretation. Bollag's art is a celebration of life, highlighting the fact that despite our struggles and dark pasts, we all have the potential to create a bright and colorful future. The Uri-Ruedi diptych is an excellent representation of Bollag's art, which aims to bring a smile to the viewer's face while exploring the essence of the faces and their.
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