EST. 2009

April 30, 2010

That Short Season of Youth










BEAUTIFUL WORDS TO ACCOMPANY BEAUTIFUL PICTURES. I could try to write something about Vincent Bakkum's elegant old-world style but there is no way I can express his vision and inspiration as romantically as he does.

So I leave it to the master himself to talk about his work, as quoted from his artist statement:

"I'm in love with the 'object' woman, her graphic qualities. I fall for her outlines, her bone structure, the shadows under nose and lips, the knuckles of long slender fingers, the lightfall on her calves, pitchblack, cheek brushing eyelashes.

The beauty of a woman to me is closely connected to the fruit, dead fish and stuffed birds I also enjoy painting; death and decay is another undeniable source of inspiration. Beauty doomed to rot, colours bound to fade.

Although there's no thin line between flourishing and decaying, I still try to catch that moment. I'm desperately trying to save what there's left to save. Life is short and nothing is more transitory than the short season of youth. She is the mirror in which I see myself decaying."

I imagine him saying this to me over coffee in Helsinki. Accent thick and voice dry. To which I would artlessly reply:

"That's beautiful.

So, I'm really liking that painting with the Teen Joy shoes."


Paintings by Vincent Bakkum, www.saintjustine.com

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