{"id":9302,"date":"2020-08-13T20:34:07","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T18:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/galeriepj.com\/artist-in-the-spotlight-2\/"},"modified":"2024-04-18T15:45:43","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T13:45:43","slug":"artist-in-the-spotlight-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/galeriepj.com\/fr\/artist-in-the-spotlight-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Artist in the Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ISABELLE SCHELTJENS, QUEEN OF DOTS
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Isabelle Scheltjens has given classical pointillism an original and contemporary twist. She developed a new way of portrait making, in which thousands of pieces of glass in specific patterns optically form an image. Pointillists used small, distinct dots of pure colour on their canvases, placed in close proximity so that they would blur into new colours. Isabelle applies a similar technique, using layers of coloured glass instead of paint. She immersed herself in the understanding of colour and creates her portraits with maniacal intensity \u2013 featuring intricate detail, lighting and shadows. The colourful pieces of glass are like the dots of paint used by the pointillists: forming an abstract image up close, yet a dramatic and precise portrait from a distance.

DISTANCE CREATES BEAUTY<\/em><\/p>\n

Up close we see an abstract image, seemingly unfinished \u2013 a captivating combination of bright colours. However, when viewed at a distance, our eyes fuse the individual pieces of glass into one solid portrait. The time-consuming and laborious technique is the antithesis to the frantic pace of life in a \u2018disposable\u2019 society.

OPTICAL EFFECTS
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Isabelle achieves striking optical effects with her technique: she captures the dance of light and colour in a way a photograph transforms it into a black & white, or sometimes a colourful, portrait – the fascinating result of a process which relies on the perceptive ability of the viewer\u2019s eye and mind.<\/p>\n

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES<\/em><\/p>\n

Everything looks better from a distance than up close. Isabelle\u2019s portraits require the viewer\u2019s participation, as they change depending on the viewing position. Her art gives shape to the disparity between what something appears to be and what something actually is. The fragility of glass represents the transience of beauty.<\/p>\n

THE BIGGER PICTURE<\/p>\n

Mosaic art requires a talent for seeing the bigger picture, even more so when the mosaics are almost photorealistic. From afar, Isabelle\u2019s artwork depicts the model naturalistically. Up close, the image is an abstract composition of thousands of individual squares. Using tiny pieces of glass, she creates portraits with intricate details and amazing depth. The mastery of this technique requires dedication, ample skill, a deep understanding of colour and lots of patience. The result is an exquisite art form which will last for generations.<\/p>\n

THE POETRY OF DOTS<\/em><\/p>\n

Although Isabelle\u2019s modern-day pointillism requires technical craftsmanship, technique is merely a means to an end. The seemingly random forms and colours on the surface of the canvas come together to form a distinct, expressive, tactile image \u2013 pointillism reinvented and re-contextualised.<\/p>\n

DIALOGUE BETWEEN ARTIST AND VIEWER<\/em><\/p>\n

Assembling a portrait one piece at a time, while considering the work as a whole, is incredibly hard. It goes way beyond cutting a piece and getting it in the right position. Isabelle uses this challenging and time-consuming art medium to express a subject\u2019s features, personality and mood with vibrant colours in unexpected patterns. The result is a portrait which brings a sense of wonder to the viewer, making him want to reach out and touch it.<\/p>\n

FASCINATED WITH FACES<\/em><\/p>\n

Faces are the first things we notice in people. We respond to faces because they reveal an individual\u2019s personality: trustworthy or deceitful, attractive or unappealing, welcoming or reserved, \u2026 It is no wonder faces have always been central to art. Irrespective of whether they are being depicted recognisably or abstractly, we always clearly recognise them because they manifest a specific composition: a forehead, two eyes, a nose and a mouth. Isabelle is fascinated with faces and their capacity to arouse our perceptions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

BIG THINGS<\/em><\/p>\n

Isabelle Scheltjens’ working method is truly remarkable, a modern twist on traditional stained-glass portraits. As a self-taught artist who started her career in 2014, she is on her way to big things and is becoming an internationally recognised artist, who is exhibiting worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n

BROWSE WORKS<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n