Creating Sans Titre – 25-02-25 (Carole Lombard)

Website link: https://corneakkers.com/sans-titre-25-02-25-carole-lombard/
Print: https://corneakkers.com/print-sans-titre-25-02-25-carole-lombard/
Printable: https://corneakkers.com/product/printable-sans-titre-25-02-25/

An Enrichment

This drawing ‘Sans Titre – 25-02-25’ depicts American celebrity and moviestar Carole Lombard. Her carreer covered the 1920s, 1930s until her tragic death in 1942. The Wikipedia page (link above) on her is worth to click and read. Eventually she was awarded with the medal of freedom. My Sans Titre series deserved an enrichment with her arrival. Both gumption and aesthetic beauty are two solid reasons to include her. In fact, this artwork is protest really. Against blabbermouthing, rude language and the absence of style the political debate but also art seem to rule. Here’s why.

A Mere Protest

Recently I came to realize my art deco endeavours put in modern perspective are to be considered as a mere protest. That is, against the state art is in nowadays. These days where everybody seems to be able to do everything I want to make something clear. It’s like abstracting and styling in this drawing. A person should consider what he or she says, when and how. Sometimes it’s better to say less but make the quality styled, grand and meaningful. What could be more beautiful than a sense of controlled passion, mastery, display of skills and a sound artistic opinion?

Class!

To sum it all up, that’s what I like about the 1930s: class. In addition, one remark about Mrs Lombard. Never underestimate the power of one single woman let alone an entire people against the power of tyrrany. Her fundraising for war efforts can be inspiring for us all. Elon Musk and Trump better take notice of what’s happening right now in the world. Perhaps you find this art statement succumbd to its own gravity but let me tell you about this. Philosopher Éric Sadin in his book ‘Era of the Individual Tyrant’ is right. To me it seems the western world is ruled by big-headed egos with a rage against everything around them. You see that on t.v. People like to watch people with no particular skillset doing and believing even the strangest of things. Both in politics and art but I could extend the scope even wider.

Pondering Artistic Possibilities

So where does it leaves me? This having said, I try to give myself fully just like Carole, I suppose. In my particular case I was pondering possibilities what to do with an already perfect photograph. Last year I drew Marlene Dietrich. What I liked about that one is that the harsh lines in the periphery gird the softness of her face. Something similar I had in mind doing this one. However, I’m not sure I managed to match this. The result seems to me pretty decent job but also very subtle. It may mark a turning point. Maybe one towards a marriage between realism and cubism?

Graphite pencil (Faber Castell Pitt Graphite Matt pencil 14B) drawing on Fabriano Ingres paper (21 x 28.2 x 0.1 cm)
Artist: Corné Akkers