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Artwork note:
Following in the footsteps of the New
Realism pioneers – Europe’s answer to
American Pop Art – Ayman Baalbaki brings
to mind Van Gogh’s ‘pair of shoes’ still
life in this unique piece. Painting
objects commonly used in everyday life,
each artist attempts to portray a
significant social issue: Van Gogh chose
worn, rundown shoes to illustrate the
hardships of everyday life, whereas
Baalbaki used a tire to reflect an
explosion of society. In Baalbaki’s
painting, the gold leaf represents
people harmoniously living together,
while the tire abruptly rips through
this ordered fabric. In an ironic twist,
the symbol of unity – the wheel – is
destroyed and ultimately becomes the
destroyer of unity.
An imposing object in the middle of the
canvas, the tire has no base or defined
space, as if it is suspended, neither
horizontally nor vertically. Rather, it
is placed diagonally, appearing to jump
out at the viewer amid the lacerated
background, giving an almost explosive
effect. The choice of subject is
symbolic in of itself. In a country
where tires are set ablaze in protests,
used as blockades at army checkpoints,
were a common instrument of torture
during Lebanon’s last occupation and
also reflect the violence of a string of
assassinations in the form of car bombs,
the tire in Baalbaki’s painting then
takes on a political connotation. |
