TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

This imposing work, titled a "mentalwall," commands the viewer’s space with substantial dimensions of 190× 170 cm. Executed on canvas, it is a mixed media composition that relies heavily on the tactile interplay between oil sticks and found paper. The substrate appears to be layered with glued sheets—likely repurposed posters or newsprint—creating a crinkled, uneven topography that traps light and adds physical depth.

The surface is treated with aggressive washes of magenta and violet, likely diluted ink or acrylic, which bleed into the absorbent paper. Over this, the artist has applied oil stick in thick, deliberate black lines to define figures and text. The work is signed and protected under the copyright © PM Colpin-Gucat Art.

CONTEXT OF CREATION

The term "mentalwall" suggests that this piece functions as an externalized mind map—a vertical projection of the artist's subconscious or intellectual processing of reality. Rather than a window into a scene, it is a wall of information. The creation context appears to be one of urban archaeology and social critique. By utilizing "found paper," the artist physically embeds the detritus of the street into the studio practice. The scale suggests a desire to immerse the viewer in the raw data of the subject matter, mimicking the overwhelming nature of street advertisements or graffiti walls where messages overlap and compete for attention.

THEMATIC ANALYSIS

The artwork is a grim, tripartite narrative centering on the economics of mortality and vice.

The Left Flank (The Reaper/The Institution): A tall, shadowy figure dominates the left, dressed in an ornate, almost liturgical coat with complex patterning. The pivotal clue here is the collage element reading "CENTRE FUNERAIRE" (Funeral Center). This figure stands as a sentinel of death, rooted in a mosaic floor, representing the final destination of the human body.

The Center (The Calculation): The middle section acts as the ledger. Under a wash of visceral pink (suggesting organic matter or blood), we see a sketch of a head in a helmet or goggles, perhaps a pilot or a soldier of fortune. Below this lies the "DEAL." Mathematical scribbles—"50 € g," "40 € g," "75," "MDS $"—point clearly to the illicit drug trade (likely cocaine, hinted at by the text "MAMA KUKA" and the botanical sketch of a coca plant). The word "DEATH" connects the price per gram directly to the ultimate cost.

The Right Flank (The Consumer/The Modern Man): On the right, a figure in contemporary dress (jeans, white shirt, green scarf) stands with hands in pockets. The face is obscured or obliterated by the collage. This is the anonymous participant, the consumer, or the "everyman" caught in the machinery depicted in the center.

STYLISTIC ANALYSIS

The piece sits firmly within the lineage of Neo-Expressionism and Street Art, invoking the raw, frenetic energy of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Dichotomy of Line and Color: The stark, heavy black lines of the oil stick contrast violently with the fluid, unpredictable nature of the pink washes. This creates a visual tension between structure (the math, the figures) and chaos (the bleeding color).

Text as Texture: Words are used not just for meaning but as compositional anchors. The handwriting is jagged and urgent, reinforcing the "mentalwall" concept—these are notes scribbled in a moment of realization.

Collage Aesthetic: The visible seams of the found paper disrupt the image, reminding the viewer that this is a constructed reality, pieced together from scraps of the material world.

OVERALL INTERPRETATION

This "mentalwall" is a damning diagram of a transactional society. It traces a direct line from the botanical origins of narcotics ("Mama Koka") through the economic exchange ("The Deal") to the inevitable conclusion ("Centre Funeraire").

The artist presents a cycle where human life is measured in grams and euros. The figures flanking the central calculation represent the Alpha and Omega of this trade: the modern individual who fuels the economy and the specter of death that awaits the outcome. It is a powerful, grand-scale visualization of the "cost of doing business" in a world where value is often confused with price.