Cyanotype on Japanese Paper bonded to Somerset
Edition of 30
30 x 42cm 
2021
 
From the series 'Le Comparse Barocche (Baroque Extras)'
 
 
Le Comparse Barocche | The Baroque Extras
 
Jacek Ludwig Scarso’s work stretches theatrical experiences across live performance, digital art, video and installation. In this print series, he takes inspiration from Baroque and Rococo imagery. His multimedia projects have regularly paid tribute to the extravagant drama of 17th and 18th century paintings, as a playful pastiche between childhood memories of being raised in Rome and his continuous interest in theatricality and art history. Here, he looks at secondary characters in baroque iconography: in filmic terms, the so-called ‘extras’. 
 
Digitally playing with reproductions of existent paintings, the central figures in the original compositions disappear behind superimposed “heavenly clouds”: in doing so, selected minor characters are given unprecedented importance. In their hidden relationships and in the removal of traditional hierarchies, we read new plotlines and character dynamics.
 
For framing or delivery quotes, please contact sales@anisegallery.co.uk
 
Commissioned in celebration of Anise Gallery’s 10 Year Anniversary, and printed in collaboration with Plain.tiff Press.