Refuse to be the Muse, Saatchi Art’s 2019 Special Edition periodical, features new works of art by the online gallery’s best-selling female artists. It was refreshing to see Laotian-French artist, Marijah Bac Cam’s Organic Mountain III.VI.XV featured. As a modern, abstract mixed media drawing, it offers a break from Cannily Curated’s usual theme of Southeast Asian landscapes and portraits.
The art reveals a mountain from an aerial view perspective; the dark structure peaks through a voracious pastel haze. These soft colors organically blend and appear almost tie-dyed and seem to dominatingly both blot and circumscribe a dissonant darker ink-colored image.
Then there are the overlapping lines– some simply sloping then some winding in infinite directions. Some taking part in creating larger shapes, almost similar to those of mollusks. There are thick but subdued lines opposing bold and transparent ones. The artist is quite skilled with creating such conceptual anomalies.
What do these smaller components represent? Could the lines possibly portray the mountain’s routes while the thinner lines suggest the roads less travelled? Do the thicker lines illustrate its popular paths? Or are these lines the mountain’s rivers and streams? Does the marker’s capillary action signify water puddling?
Do the lines creating clusters of rounded shapes constitute a village or maybe hill-like terrain? Do the lines and their shapes denote a purpose or has the artist just created a mountain masterpiece without such intention?
With countless dynamic elements in the art, Organic Mountain III.VI.XV can be interpreted endlessly. But all throughout Bac Cam’s collections you’ll see striking composition following similar themes in the extent of her art:
- Similar mixes of media: graphite, ink and marker
- Comparable masses of subtle colors and/or high contrasting colors
- Use of black and white
- Fine graphite etchings forming wavy lines and organic shapes.
This is Cannily Curated’s new favorite artist. And it is no wonder why the original piece of art has already been sold.
Prints available on Saatchi art starting from $100: Organic Mountain III.VI.XV by Marijah Bac Cam.
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