Artist Review #1: Dominique Appia

Dominique Appia
Entre les Trous De La Memoire (trans. Between the Holes in the Memory)
1975

Appia is a Swiss surrealist painter whose most noted work is "Entre les Trous De La Memoire". In English, this translates to me "Between the Holes in the Memory". Born in 1926 in Switzerland, little else has been published concerning the life of this Geneva resident. Reminiscent of Salvador Dali's work, I chose a print of this image to hang over my bed in my dorm room. I appreciate the multiplicity of interpretations created by the surrealist work; all the components can be analyzed individually or as a whole. My favorite part of the image is the picture of the leaning tower of Pisa, which lies within a wooden frame. It hangs crookedly on the left most wall, the building finally appearing without its famous bend. This indicates the imperfections of the world set "right" or trying to reverse the effects of time. This interpretation is validated by the burning of books, which appears in the middle of the work. This is similar to what occurs in Fahrenheit 451, where all the books are destroyed in attempt to remove their society from the teachings of the past. This painting is a culmination of memories in the process of being destroyed or altered. The holes of memory referred to in the title would be the compilation of half-remembered events and ideas.

While his work bears little similarity to my own, I appreciate how he juxtaposes seemingly unrelated elements in order to create some sort of cohesiveness. In addition to the thematic attraction of his work, it is also aesthetically appealing. All of the components of the work are placed in such a manner that the viewer's eye is constantly moving around the page. I try to emulate this tactic in my photography by playing with the focus and perspective.

Link: http://www.appia-d.ch/