1. Artistic and Philosophical Context

The work "The Runoff" is part of a contemporary abstraction approach, blending Abstract Expressionism and socio-economic reflection. By revisiting Van Gogh's Portrait of a Woman, this piece goes beyond a simple homage to question the mechanisms of symbolic and material redistribution, through the prism of trickle-down theory.

2. Subrealism and Technical Hybridization

Subrealism, here, fuses Van Gogh's dreamlike quality (expressive brushstrokes, vibrant colors) with minimal digital abstraction. The mixed media (acrylic on canvas + digital animation) creates a duality: the physical material recalls human fragility, while the digital evokes the coldness of economic systems. The intermediary photograph serves as a bridge between these two worlds, symbolizing the capture of a moment of transition.

3. Xanthopsia as a Utopian Metaphor

The predominance of yellow, the signature of the Xanthopsia collection, refers to Van Gogh's altered vision while criticizing the utopia of trickle-down. Yellow becomes both hope and illusion, reflecting the duality between light and darkness, abundance and precariousness. This distorted perception invites us to question the reality of economic promises.

4. Resonance with Digital Subculture

The work is rooted in a hybrid aesthetic (visual memes, glitch art, digital minimalism), typical of internet subcultures. The stop-motion animation evokes GIF culture, symbolizing the eternal repetition of economic cycles. Blockchain is implicitly criticized: like trickle-down, it promises egalitarian decentralization but often reproduces existing hierarchies.

5. Homage and Subversion of Van Gogh

By diverting the portrait towards abstraction, the work highlights the tensions dear to Van Gogh: order versus chaos, individual versus collective. The woman in the original portrait becomes an allegory of the disenfranchised, whose face dissolves into colorful flows—a reminder that the flow erases singularities in favor of impersonal systems.

7. Conclusion: Art as a Critical Laboratory

"The Flow" goes beyond aesthetic reinterpretation to offer a meditation on contemporary economic narratives. By hybridizing traditional and digital techniques, the work itself embodies a symbolic flow: that of classical art toward the digital, questioning how past works can shed light on current debates. The Xanthopsia collection, as a whole, invites us to see beyond appearances—whether in art, the economy, or our relationship with the world.

Summary: This piece is a manifesto of engaged art, where subrealism and digital technology serve to deconstruct economic mythologies while paying homage to the transformative power of Van Gogh. It proves that contemporary art, when it fuses heritage and innovation, can offer keys to deciphering the complex realities of our time.

The Runoff: Xanthopsia 160:

Original at : Van Gogh Museum

 #treeskulltown digital art version :

2160 x 3840 px / GIF  (4K version 140 Mo available) / 40,7 Mo / 12 fps / 100 éditions