Science & Vie 2018

Curator: Looking at Owen Gent’s “Science & Vie” from 2018, created with watercolors, I feel immediately drawn to its poignant and somewhat melancholic atmosphere. It whispers of introspection, don’t you think? Editor: My first thought goes straight to the materiality—watercolor, right? Such an interesting choice considering how controlled and pixelated the shapes appear. It’s as if the organic nature of watercolor is deliberately juxtaposed with the digital, pixel-perfect disintegration of the figure. Curator: Exactly! It's the fragmentation that fascinates me most. The subject’s face, rendered so peacefully, seems to be gently dissolving into these… colorful digital fragments. Like memories fading or identity being deconstructed by the digital age. Editor: Well, "Science & Vie"—Science and Life, interesting title—makes me think about labor, specifically cognitive labor. Maybe these fragmented parts allude to the commodification of knowledge, how our minds are broken down and sold piecemeal in a data-driven economy? Curator: That's a darker read, but not off base! Perhaps both interpretations are valid? On one level, it reflects the contemporary human condition. A tension between our physical being and digital footprint. I feel an emotional resonance with this person. Vulnerable, yes, but dignified even in… disassembly. Editor: I wonder, how does the artist feel about their own creative "labor" being presented in such a way? Watercolors, while beautiful, have historically been relegated to craft rather than high art. Presenting it in this digitalized state kind of adds another layer of that historical critique to it, don't you think? Curator: An interesting tension between perceived ‘craft’ and intention that you pointed out. Still, I can't help but see hope here, despite it all. There's a quiet beauty in seeing ourselves as works-in-progress, constantly adapting, never entirely fixed. Perhaps “Science et Vie” illustrates acceptance in metamorphosis. Editor: Ultimately, what is so appealing with this piece is the fact it creates all of this dialogue to begin with. In that case, it's safe to say Gent managed to prompt the intended discussions on society that his labor and craft has created. Curator: Absolutely, its emotional pull is undeniable, made possible by the artist's deliberate use of medium.