L’Impero nascosto

This work encapsulates for me the fusion of three traditions which mean a great deal to me: the Neapolitan School of the 17th century, the 16th century Flemish school of Joachim Patinir, and the ethereal landscapes of Leonardo. Whereas the technique and references are immersed in the past, the subject is a contemporary woman, a friend, who looks out upon the landscape as a 21st century young person, reflecting upon Leonardo's notion of "man is the measure of all things" in this post-industrial, climate crisis world of ours. Permeating this work are the words of the French philosopher/author Pascale Quignard, which can be found floating in the landscape.

"Sans cesse il n’y a pas de monde au lieu où nous vivons. Sans cesse la figure du monde est passée. Sans cesse le langage fait défaut. Sans cesse celle qu’on aime se réduit à un rêve. Sans cesse les souvenirs ne sont que des pierres."

--"Le Nom sur le bout de la langue", P. Quignard, 1993