The Artist Contemplation_01

Entering the skin of an artist is by no means an easy task. Throughout history, painters, sculptors, photographers, and now AI creators have always been confronted with their creations, whether viewed through a critical lens or not. As we admire their works in museums, galleries, or on the web, we are not the first to witness, observe, criticize, or even be disappointed by the representation, the idea, or the execution of the artwork. 'The Artists,' a series by curated by Sloika for Montage Space, seeks to capture that suspended moment when the painter lifts their head and decides to stop, to have completed the painting. The desert here symbolizes the need for concentration, the withdrawal from the world. The artist, mainly depicted from behind, is unaware of our presence; they stand alone, facing their creation, while we observe. Far from being a critique of the artist themselves, 'The Artists' is a homage collection to all artists and their creativity, playing on the incongruity and surrealism of situations, the state of excitement and meditation in the face of the artwork.