Tribute

There are numerous references to painting in Yves Ullens’ work. The optical effects and the geometric compositions of certain images such as Blue Floating Shapes into Red, Disco Lights or White Light Sculpture evoke the kinetic works of Victor Vasarely or Bridget Riley. His more recent works in the Coloured Meditation series evoke the Colorfield Paintings of Mark Rothko, who used to express himself by means of one or more colours, with vague contours, laid flat on the canvas.

Each of the images has a title that evokes strong and positive emotions. There is a certain sensitivity linked to the state of mind of the artist for which he is keen to share through his works. The endless variety of colours and lights, whether natural or artificial, results from the richness of the textures and the forms captured by the lens. The subject is no longer identifiable and simply vanishes, making way for emotions and imagination.

Text: Caroline Bouchard

Curator: Dianne Beal (US)

Organizer: Riga Photography Biennial in cooperation with Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, Riga Central Library

Image: Yves Ullen. Orange and Red Composition #1, Malaga (Spain), 2013