Frost on Deserted Weapon
The composition of this large collage is structured by the curve of the arm, repeated four times in a mirror image, of the man holding a scythe, probably a reference to the sickle which, together with the image of the hammer in the Soviet Union, symbolised the union of the agricultural workers and the proletariat. The sign is muddied here, as if the repetitions of the motif, always more or less symmetrical, created interference in the final meaning of the composition: the apparent familiarity of the images is disrupted by the complexity of the whole, as well as the addition of abstract elements, coloured fields, and arbitrary signs created by the cutting of the paper. The title of the work seems to denote a form of nostalgia and the idea of time inevitably passing by on the weapons of the past condemned to abandonment. Anna Parkina always seeks to blur the lines and create images that draw on a multitude of references—advertising, propaganda images, and Russian constructivism are among her inspirations—while remaining visual enigmas that reject any form of ideology.
Text written by Mariane Tricoire as part of the partnership between the École du Louvre and Lafayette Anticipations – Fonds de dotation Famille Moulin.
Exhibition
The Arts Club, Londres (Paris)
from 26 Jun to 29 Sep 2013