Stan Solo DISHONOR OF CECILE
Visually established up on the grace of The Lady with an Ermine, Cecilia Gallerani portrait painted around 1489 by Leonardo Da Vinci, The Dishonor of Cecile tells a tragic story of decay of yet another cultural heritage in hands of a foreign owner – a company linked to an American bank – to prospectively be torn down and replaced by some modern commercial building.
The Vyšehrad station, built around 1906 on the base from 1874, is an electic building with the elements of art nouveau and baroque with art nouveau interior which is completely gone by now thanks to the water leaking into the building after the poor reconstruction done back in 1998.
The way the figure holds the tram reminds of a mother carrying her child as the trains do not stop for the passengers here since 1960 and the tram station in front of the building is the only public transport operating there.
The lack of portrait features resembles the concept of defacing of the cultural heritage and lack of mouth / lips embodies her inability to speak for herself or find help under the current laws as the preservationists have no power over the situation and can not protect her, even tho the building is listed since 2001 as cultural heritage.
Instead of fine fabrics Cecile is covered in plastic foils protecting the roof and green construction textiles from fences surrounding her. Vast amount of graffiti and tags wrap the overall feeling.
The soundtrack brings the feeling of a funeral march, the carriers stumble under the weight of the casket, creating the uneven rhythm, singing the sorrowful melody, accompanied by a simple yet juicy baseline and out-of-tune piano lead.
The artwork created from the field observational studies done on spot. This approach is influenced by my habit of urban sketching developed during past years.
Done in watercolors on A1 museum – grade 300gsm acid – free cold – pressed paper.
Series of 11 fine HQ photo realistic A2 format prints available. Lowest numbers – 1/11 and 2/11 available exclusively at Delirium Gallery Athens.
