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Philippe Bertho - Ne Fais Pas Ca
Don't Do That
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In Ne Fais Pas Ca (Don’t Do That), Phillippe Bertho once again touches us with absurdity, anticipation and humor as he captures a young woman balanced tenuously upon her companion’s back in nothing more than her bathing suit.
Balancing and the precariousness of modern life are recurring themes in Bertho’s work. In this image, the figures are balancing themselves on a white floating platform. They seem oblivious to their dangerous situation despite the fact that at any moment they may both tumble into an abyss if their platform teeters just a little bit too much. But if we look again, could it be that the pink curlicue substance that appears to extrude from the male character’s gloved finger is keeping them level
Admirers of Burtho’s work may be starting to become familiar with his trademark style – the juxtaposition of patterns, the dots against the stripes, the angular against the curved, the tiny figures going about their business against a vast expanse of background (in this case, stripes of orange and blue), shadows that are cast from everything solid and real and his trademark bubbles. The bubbles and circles that appear in this image, and in most other by this artist, serve two purposes. They provide a graphic purity of continuous form and act as important symbols representing the repetitiveness of the quotidian. For Burtho, each bubble also represents a soul. To denote this, no shadows are cast from them. Bertho claims to abhor painting these circles, but like work and daily routine, which one must accept, he is compelled to include them in his works.
Bertho’s vision of life is inspired by perseverance in spite of the absurdities and indifference of the modern world. The steadfastness of his characters creates a uniquely human gesture against his backdrop of shapes, bubbles, patterns and textures. Equally impactful as the philosophical subtext of his works, is the fact that they are fun, hip, new, and unique. Each artwork hints at the artist’s sense of humor and makes us smile as mach as it makes us think.
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