STALKER N°3

Title: STALKER N°3
Year: 2013
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 120 x 80 cm, 48 x 32 in
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Exhibitions: The Good and the Evil, Andata Ritorno gallery 2014
Provenance: Artist’s Studio, Switzerland
Authentication: This artwork is accompanied by a certificate from the artist, signature on the back

“STALKER N°3,” was inspired by the haunting brilliance of Andrei Tarkovsky’s film, a cinematic masterpiece that wrestles with the complex theme of good and evil. Tarkovsky’s enigmatic work taught me to view the screen as a canvas, where images emerge and dissolve, weaving together a tapestry of ambiguity and introspection. For this painting, part of my Still Lights – Cinema series begun in 2008, I deliberately chose to explore films that grapple with morality, prompting the viewer to question what is truly good and what is truly evil. The answers remain elusive, shaped by the director’s intention to challenge and confound, pushing each of us to seek our own truths within the narrative’s uncertainty. The unique rhythm in these films unveils a world that is inexplicable and layered, transmitting an emotion I sought to embody in my painting. My process involved playing the film silently, projecting it onto a wall beside my canvas, allowing the visuals – stripped of dialogue and soundtrack – to speak directly to my senses. Through repeated viewings, I found new moments of resonance, and ultimately, the final artwork became a composition of several superimposed images from the same scene. This technique allows the painting to pulse with the film’s multifaceted energy, inviting viewers to experience a sense of mystery and depth, much like Tarkovsky’s cinematic vision.