Detail of Hendrick Avercamp's painting (top) and last frame of stop animation (bottom)
original painting by Hendrick Avercamp and last frame of animation
In
the context of the 2020 International Rijksstudio Award competition inviting
everyone to create their own masterpiece inspired by works from the
Rijksmuseum's collection, artist and designer Francine LeClercq from
Soltani+LeClercq, revisited Hendrick Avercamp by bringing his 17th
century painting “Winter Landscape with Ice Skaters” to life.
The
exquisite rendering of a winter scene by Hendrick Avercamp depicting a wide range of
activities on a frozen river is so effervescent in its narrative that every
elements seem to anticipate their next move. In this stop motion animation, the
displacements not only of more than one hundred figures but also of the
preserved appearance of the paint in turn activate the panoramic landscape and
offer alternative scenarios and compositions within the canvas.
This
work is an attempt to call for an extending viewing of the painting, observing
grim and humorous details, giving every brushstroke a new perspective and
stimulate imagination.
Francine LeClercq completed her education in interior architecture and fine arts with honors from the School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg/ France. Recipient of the Ritleng Prize, she was invited to collaborate on works with the International architect/artist/designer Gaetano Pesce in New York.
Her art work is grounded on the thematic of perception and the tectonics of painting and has been exhibited in galleries and museums in Europe and the United States. She has had the privilege to see her work selected by eminent curators such as Peter Blum/Peter Blum gallery, James Cuno/Art Institute Chicago, Lynne Warren/ Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago, Maxwell Anderson / Whitney Museum, Janne Siren/ Albright-Knox Gallery and Perttu Ollila, to mention a few.
She has lived in New York City since 1992, where aside from painting, she practices architecture and design with Ali Soltani.
