A series of journals written by Louis that are art critiques of the artist Sharlotte's works.
Night of the Majestic Cosmos: The Dawn of Dreams & Freedom
01. Night of the Majestic Cosmos: The Dawn of Dreams & Freedom
Author: Louis Rice
As the opening chapter in this series of criticisms, the work I have selected is Night of the Majestic Cosmos.
This is an iconic work from the famous painter Sharlotte's early life, and is also where the title of this series of notes takes its name.
Just like their other early works, this painting has yet to receive the acclaim and praise it deserves to this day because it has not yet showcased the artist's unique dreamy kaleidoscopic style. I wish to express my deepest regret for this.
Let us first consider the painting itself: Beneath a vast and brilliant starry sky, a black lighthouse symbolizing human civilization and order looks frail and insignificant — like a small boat drifting in a boundless ocean. All it would take is a single storm or a lone tidal wave to completely wipe any trace of its existence from the face of the earth.
And the composition of this image uses exaggerated lines that are perpetually flowing like a spiral. These lines devour everything like frothing waves, spinning, agitating, and upheaving, constructing everything while deconstructing everything.
As for technique, the artist's brushwork at this time was still a little underdeveloped, with a still immature palette. And compared to the dreamy style of later works, it is obviously too "conservative and photo-realistic." However, from this painting, we can easily glimpse into the artist's reflections on "people" and "the world."
"When we look up to the stars, what are we looking at?"
Every time we look up and gaze out at the vast and inscrutable universe, we are inevitably faced with our own insignificance. Humans — or rather, all civilizations of intelligent life — are nothing more than a fleeting and fragile candle flame before the unfathomable and mysterious might of nature.
However, in this painting, all phenomena in the world — be it the eternal night sky, the boundless universe, the insignificant lighthouse symbolizing humanity, or the shaft of light beamed out from that lighthouse — are fundamentally just twisted lines randomly doodled by Imaginary Law.
We come from the stars, and are no different to space dust. Everything in this world is ultimately meaningless.
So, in this cold and empty tone, what answer has our painter given us?
Take a look at the mysterious violet tones dotted into the indigo night sky. The constellations are giving off these gentle pale yellow lights. These lights contrast and harmonize with the flame in the lighthouse, so we feel the restless joy of time passing, but also warmth ignited in this cold long night.
Thanks to these colors, those messy and restless lines no longer look cold and ruthless because they are faithful to nature. They still flow — looping back and forth, never stopping — but they emanate a gentle halo due to having been stained by the warmth of human souls, bringing a touch of life to the vast and empty night sky.
Even if reality is nothing more than a dream... Even if the universe was not created for humanity... We still need to pursue the sky that belongs exclusively to ourselves — be it in a painting, or in our dreams.