The gallery of L’Eden Loft in Rabelais alley in Cannes presents the latest works of Rodolphe Cosimi, an artist, a juggler of the color of space and time.
The painter-sculptor, whom we met in 2008 with his Drippings where the colors were ethereal, balletic, and undulating, is evolving into a second period, that of portraits of famous figures in strokes, a sort of monochrome Drippings.
We are in Cannes, and the artist has reserved part of his exhibition for cinema and its icons, in a retrospective of the last film festival. We discover Marilyn Monroe and other actresses and actors who have marked the history of cinema. Then, the major theme unfolds before us with these seven portraits of historical figures.
Rodolphe Cosimi explains this choice, his choice, of seven people, seven giants who, over the twentieth century, marked this period, probably the most exhilarating and dramatic in human history, with their aura, action, or struggle. “It’s a need for hope, a need to become aware of the link that unites us on this planet, each providing their answer.”
In fact, everything is said in this sentence, and these seven heroes, though very different, find themselves united by a common thread: “Love.” Gandhi needs no introduction, his resistance through non-violence to colonialism, Lady Di, the neglected princess, compassionate with children victims of AIDS, Michael Jackson, the prodigal child of music, Bill Gates, a sort of Gutenberg of computing, Mother Teresa and her tireless action against poverty in the slums of Calcutta, Josephine Baker, also charitable, having adopted children, and Nelson Mandela, who never doubted and responded to hate and racism with love.
As we can see, the choices are calculated, and each of them, at some point in their life, responded to this need for hope and charity. One would be tempted to recall the Bible, Christ’s words about turning the other cheek. They are seven; there are seven colors in the rainbow. Rodolphe Cosimi invites us to discover them, to guess, he plays a little with us.
Who are they? While some are obvious, the angle of the portrait creates hesitation, and the monochrome does not help you to identify the personality. Rodolphe here only uses one hue, one color. This creates ambiguity, and with finesse, the artist navigates the narrow line separating figurative from abstract. Rodolphe tightens the rope, and the visitor becomes somewhat of a tightrope walker, taking care not to fall. He ensures participation as an actor in the exhibition.
Seven colors, a perfect number, there’s a part of spirituality in these seven portraits, these seven colors, and these seven hopes to which the artist invites us to encounter these seven personalities who marked the twentieth century, each delivering, in their way, this message of love proclaimed two thousand years ago.
by Thierry Jan
