Strange Totem

Totems. One of the strongest symbol for anthropologists like me. Or better said : "for people who have a degree in anthropology and boast saying they are anthropologists even if they aren't really anymore". This first painting is one of the few that takes place in Switzerland. Most of my inspiration comes from foreign places where I've been (Asia or Latin America mostly) or I'm dreaming of visiting (Africa). This one is different : we can see on the background what is (or looks like) the most famous mountain of my homeland : the Matterhorn. But this isn't the only "Swiss made" on this painting : on the right stands a kind of totem that directly comes from Paul Klee's art. As you may (not) know : he was a German painter that was born and spent most of his life in Switzerland. I added on it a "spoon of mexicanity" with the skull and the bright colours.

The "real" Matterhorn apearing like unreal on a picture I took in Zermatt :

An invitation to climb it (or not) :

Years later, my fascination for totems came back on three more paintings with diverse landscapes. The first one represents three "Matterhorn-like" mountains, but obviously doesn't take place in Switzerland as we see Asian temples. On the three of them, I'm playing with transparency and with the contrast between transparent figures vs opaque ones (especially on the last painting).

Then why this fascination for totems? Because they are a perfect fusion between human beings and trees. They imitate the shapes and the features of human being. And at the same time they stands with the wisdom and serenity of trees. They stand for ages on their place, without moving. Completely indifferent to the world around them. For me, they symbolize a quiet force that care for us or the place they stand on (at the entrance of villages in South Korea). They are like the "apus" (the spirits of the mountain) in Andean culture : a very strong caring force that can get angry at you if you don't respect it. It's a kinda metaphor for nature and its force. In a certain way, totems and mountains are fellow creatures.