Thanatos 2020

Camilla d'Errico’s 'Thanatos' presents us with a skull, butterflies, and a cascade of color, all rendered with the fine control of traditional painting techniques. Notice how d’Errico plays with materiality. The skull, a symbol of mortality, is painted in muted tones, giving it a weighty, bone-like feel. In contrast, the vibrant colors that spill from the skull’s eye socket are fluid and dynamic, a stark departure from the skull's stillness. The butterflies, rendered in delicate greyscale, add a sense of lightness, their intricate wings a testament to the artist's skill. D’Errico uses the techniques of layering and blending to achieve a smooth, almost ethereal finish. The contrast between the solid skull and the flowing colors creates a visual tension, a dynamic interplay between life and death, solidity and fluidity. It's a reminder that art isn't just about what is depicted, but how the artist manipulates materials to create meaning.