DELPHINE LEBOURGEOIS
Volcano Geology, 2013
80(w) x 59(h) cm
Giclee print on Hahnemuhle German etching paper
Delphine Lebourgeois recent ‘Volcano’ series sees screaming and grimacing women wearing exploding head dresses as she continues to explore human emotion, identity and the inner battles of the characters that feature.
The word ‘Passion’ springs to mind when I look at new limited edition print Volcano Geology, which features entwined women appearing like a pattern as they march in unity wearing identical clothes to form an insect-like shape. With their fists under their chins and knees up in the air ready to stamp the next step, they let out a unified yell as they walk one in front of the other in two regular lines across the page. As they scream, colourful minerals and jewels erupt from their volcano-heads, releasing the anger and frustration from within.
Seated at the ‘tail’ of the insect is a character Delphine describes as the Smoker. In contrast to what’s going on behind her, the Smoker is freed from her rage as she relaxes, casually kicking one of the stray jewels as if it were a child’s ball. A liberated icon of peace and tranquillity, she’s like the queen, the real jewel, fragile and precious; the one all the others believe in and fight for and aspire to become.
There has always been a semi-autobiographical element to Delphine’s work and there’s a sense of a journey in this piece that perhaps refers to the creative struggle Delphine herself regularly experiences when making a piece of work, or on a broader scale, her daily living. Could this angry army be the creative drive, fuelled by pressure and stress, and the Smoker the glorious victory, the calm after the storm when the work is done?
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