Ulterior Motives Print

This piece is based on a snapshot from Costa-Gavras' political film 'State of Siege' (1972). Based on real events, it explores the kidnapping and murder of Philip Michael Santore (played by Yves Montand), an official of the United States Agency for International Development in their Office of Public Safety. 'Ulterior Motives' is a piece in which the text above the car and the group of men is supposed to make an observer wonder whether all three of them are gathered for the sole purpose of carrying out a plan while having ulterior motives, or the main figure (the one marked with a rectangle) has an underlying incentive that is unknown to the other two. As I was working on this painting, the idea to paint the rectangle space normally, but to lower the overall contrast and brightness of the rest of the canvas (except for the text) seemed intriguing. --- In my exploration of the medium of painting, I deal with the problem of using pre-existing visual imagery as starting points. I digitally alter the original snapshot using a variety of editing techniques. Such 'archaeological' approach is reflected in the selection of templates which are then carefully examined, digital rearrangement and materialization using a traditional technique – oil on canvas. This so-called post-digital artistic gesture comprises of digital media, but in its last stage also includes materiality. I have been painting with oil colours since I started working professionally. It is the medium which I feel most comfortable using. I decided to use grey tones since they refer to capitalism, in which everything is grey – photography, film, press, television, computers, screens etc. I use perylene black, a shade of black which, when mixed with white, provides intriguing greenish undertones. The palette is rather anemic, muted and weary. Just like the oil colours, the canvas and the frame hanging rope are high-quality.

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:8 W x 10 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:13.25 W x 15.25 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.