Constantin CHOPIN - Book

CHOPIN Constantin

EDITO Art is a language : the language of silence. It is amazing how much can be said without a word. It is a unique conversation with one’s self and one’s perception of the world. Art feeds on beauty, and ugliness, it needs joy and sadness and it springs to life through all the emotion that goes through the artist. It is a gift to be able to express ourselves in this unique way and it is a gift to be inspired.

Art has taught me a lot : how to be curious, passionate, sensitive, open minded, meticulous and much more. I realized that everything is possible in art, from the roots of creation to the end of a work: so much possibility without limits.

When I do art, I feel alive. Having a passion is great but, enjoying it is even better.

I am still learning everyday which pushes me to work harder and harder.

Art is a journey that never ends.

Constantin CHOPIN

Biography

6:15 am

The day starts with the sound of music drifting between the images of sleep and pushing the boundaries of consciousness. Sunlight breaks through the curtains, sending a tessellation of light across the room.

6:30 am

I push the curtains to gaze across the water towards the mountain. At this early hour the mirror of the water only gently ripples reality. An almost perfection of blue light, catches a mere hint of the depth below.

7:30 am

I take a few moments to study a watercolour I am attempting. Despite the medium, capturing surface and the amorphous of depth of water challenges the medium, which seems to have limit where reality goes beyond.

12:15 am

Full sunshine as I sit below a majestic tree to eat my lunch. I lift my eyes and gaze upwards to the sky where the framework of nature scrambles to trap the light and casts shadows into my eyes as my heart lifts an I gasp my admiration of creation.

4:15 pm

Cycling home. The tyres throw up dust in which mites dance for a moment and then disappear, as their wings twist and lose reflection.

6:45 pm

The light is falling a little and has a mellowness I want to capture on film.

9:30 pm

Black clouds roll in a sheer bank over the heights. Their dramatic darkness acts as a foil for the final shards of light picking out the roofs and corners of the buildings on the shore. I wish I could capture that. Somehow film never quite grasps the enormity of the scene. I am going to have to work on this.

But it is bringing the light of the outside into a building that truly fascinates me: contrasting the rolling light of daytime with single arrows of illumination, offsetting the mystery and fundamental strength of shadow, like the rolling clouds of the mountains. Trying to reflect what nature offers and mould it to a solid art form.

10:47 pm

I realise that I cannot sleep before sketching the moon’s path on the water. Caught between two clouds it makes a final cut across the darkness before the wind hides its magnificence. The architectural possibilities of the emotion it inspires are breathtaking.

SUMMARY

1

STONE RIVER

2

PERSPECTIVE

3

AFTER LIFE

4

SECOND SKIN

5 27

6

INDIANS SPIRIT

7

EXHIBITION

8

Time, space, movement

9

lifestyle

1 STONE RIVER Shades : motion of silence. For this work I wanted to create a unique landscape using only black and white.

My goal was to bring light from a world of darkness.

I was inspired by Gustave Doré’s gravure and tried to present a similar shading effect by only using a fin black pen and crosshatching patterns.

Stone River (2012) I consider this work to be my most successful. It was inspired by a book in which one of the landscapes photographed really interested me. After several sketches and layout I was satisfied with the overall feeling and I started to work in more depth and detail.

Working only with a sharp black, the biggest challenge I encountered was: how can I properly bring light into my work?

2 PERSPECTIVE The art of showing reality.

I am fascinated by perspective and by the fact that if one day the technic is mastered, someone is able to show reality. Due to this fascination I wanted to take a closer look at the subject but also at how geometrical form were affected by perspective in order to create optical illusion.

For this work and in general I try to get my inspiration from various themes: nature, industrial shape, architecture, movement, light and a lot more. In fact, I could say, everything that surrounds me. Therefore what I have found interesting during my research was that everything that I could think of or be concerned about for my research was related to perspective.

2 PERSPECTIVE Funky Zeppelin (2011) My goal was to mix organic and industrial shapes, inspired by a shell, which reminded me of the balloon of a Zeppelin. At this stage I was obsessed with perspective as a tool to express realism.

Black Hole (2011) I wanted to show how my ideas were driven from abstract to concrete. Each linked square represents my thoughts. At the beginning they are wide but, as one penetrates deeper into the circle of mind, they become closer and closer, to converge as one final idea.

Kaleidoscope (2011) At the end of the perspective series I wanted to create a work where I would be mixing Greek architectural columns and futurist geometrical shape. The idea was to show a parallel between the past and the future where both times would link by the concept of details.

3 AFTER LIFE According to significantly contrasting beliefs and religions people have widely different perceptions of death and the after life. In South America and more precisely Mexico, the relationship to death is very different from the one we have in Europe. At the time of the pre-Colombian civilization death had an extreme fascination. The Aztecs pushed to a climax the rituals of human sacrifice and self-harm.

The skull, which is one of the main items linked to the subject, will therefore have varied significance and uses.

My goal was to create a work that tries to shows the image of death linked to the roots of life: earth.

The roots and the tree of life are represented by the piece of wood. The skull, made from plaster and formed with water combines the key elements of life into a solid representation of the fundamental minerals of existence. Painted in black and grey as the shades of the unknown they attempt to link the spiritual questions of life and existence.

4 Second skin Squaw Valley is an emblem.

It represents power, speed, agility and courage. The warrior who wears is respectful and respected. The man who dares to take this second skin must be passionate and dedicated. He has only one religion: determination. The warrior is in harmony with the environment where it draws its strength.

The warrior series is the second skin of a warrior who wants to win. He lives for it. He knows no fear and is determined, he has one thing in mind, winning.

The drawings he wears on his body are synonymous with power. However the fact remains that these motifs are also used to impress the opponent. It draws its strength from the terror of others.

V This second skin was transmitted along a line of mystic warriors. Although its origin remains uncertain, men who wore this outfit were known to be staunch warriors who worshiped their environment.

They mock fear for many reasons and live on the edge of unconsciousness. However, due to a tremendous will, they will stop at nothing. Some say that the blood of mountain flows in their veins, making them invincible.

5 27 club «Please allow me to introduce my self. I am a man of wealth and taste.»

I will always remember the first of the 27’s. It was not the first of the soul games. But it was a memorable variation on a theme grown tired through the ages.

I needed a little sparkle to add to excitement of the devil in me.

Robert Johnson, was his name. I had been following him for years, trying to understand why this poor black musician had no success. For a living he imitated the local blues master: playing his songs and copying his style. He just lacked talent for the blues - the devil’s music they said. So much emotion, such deep feelings: sorrow, sadness, madness and despair.

A challenge to take a loser like him and turn it around.

And I wondered how much he would trade for just a few days of the heady drug of stardom.

I started slowly. Apparitions. Dreams. Planting the seeds. Stroking the curiosity. Feeding on hope.

Insinuating possibilities. I played with his fear and with the psyche of insanity. And I played in the shadows of his mind with idea of ‘What if?’.

Until the night we met at the crossroads of eternity, he with his guitar and me with the power of the centuries. So as the storm clouds raged their music of destruction, we played for his soul.

«Hello, Robert.»

«Hello! But how do you know my name? I don’t know you.»

And I gazed into his eyes, peeling back the intensity of the moment, as he handed me his guitar. Soundless.

Wordless. An understanding of the moment.

I will always remember the smooth coldness of the wood against my hand, the sound of the chords in the night and the wind whispering in the shadows. I played an easy 32-20 blues. He looked into my red eyes as I handed back his guitar. He mumbled something but I did not understand. I leapt on a windblown shadow before he tried to say more. But the deal had been done. And the whispered echo of ‘27’ was carried on the curling tendrils of time.

In the months that followed he found fame, money, women… and blues. It was a unique blues. It stemmed from the dank darkness of the earth and echoed the agony of human desolation as a cry from the soul. No one was playing the blues like he was. He managed to play the bass chords with his thumb, the chords with the second, ring, fourth finger and the melody with his smallest member. He was doing the job of two guitars with only one. I had created a legend.

A unique talent and a curious death. 27.

Young souls are the best.

Numerous where the ones who followed. The game started demanded more. The ultimate artistic sacrifice. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrisson and Brian Jones. Rumour had it that they all joined the 27 Club: the ultimate trade.

I wanted to show in my work the mystic and devilish side of this story.

In the work Hall of Fame my goal was to say how the music was cursed. The snake shows the temptation and the cross in the graveyard reflects the final choice.

5 27 club My second work of this series, No reason to get excited, is a tribute to Jimi Hendrix. This time my goal was to show how the guitar is the key instrument of the curse. The colours represent the mix of emotions that appear while playing the blues. The skull materializing from the shadows is here to remind the fatal and dramatic end for the players to the death. While finishing the piece I was listening Jimi Hendrix ‘s song. At the moment I decided that I had finished, I stopped right on the lyrics: No reason to get excited.

But art is an excitement of the soul. Every little thing.

6 native americans I have always been fascinated by the spiritual power linking native Americans to their lands through their struggle against colonialism. There seems to me to be not enough work that shows the beauty and the spirit of these people.

The strong relationship with the animal spirits, from which they gather strength, inspiration and confidence, seemed to demand to be represented in artistic form.

My work is a tribute to these people.

6 native americans Red Skin and free spirit/Great Chief My goal was to show a Native American using colors of natural elements: earth, wind and water.

6 native americans This is the first of a Native American series. My goal was to create simple faces which express the sorrow of a nation. I really wanted to use the power of print making and its ability to create hard lines and strong contrast to enhance the emotion of these faces. The choice of colors was really important has it had a huge impact on the overall atmosphere of the work.

I tried to use the natural colors of the elements to emphasize the link of these people with the earth.

There is a native American saying: ‘Men belong to the earth but the earth does not belong to men’.I think that this sentence clearly express the values of these tribes, values that I try to reflect in my work.

“

“ Creation is not an act it’s a way of life

6 native americans Spirit Master Totem poles are at the essence of Native American culture. Their significance is as diverse as the tribes that made them. They stem from being religious and spiritual objects and yet they frequently recount familiar legends, clan lineages, or notable events.

Some poles celebrate cultural belief, but others are purely artistic in nature.

My goal with this work was to embrace all the experience I gathered during my study of the native Americans, in order to create a unique work that represents my feelings towards these people.

Made out of clay, my design tries to reflect the core values of the Native Americans: wisdom, bravery, courage and respect for the earth that they love.

The glazing process that I used during the work was very interesting. What I like was that there wasn’t a lot of control over the final product. The glaze in the oven would react depending on the heat, giving variations to the initial colour tone. For example, I chose a dirtred colour that finally came out much darker, almost like an earth brown. Near the eyes I wanted a clear blue but it finally emerged as a mineral blue-green, which was very interesting. Finally in order to obtain the bone like texture under the horns, I simply rubbed the coloured surface with a towel. The glaze faded away and the initial clay came out creating this unique organic colour.

7 EXHIBITION I was very proud to present my first exhibition as a part of the IB Diploma ‘vernissage’. It was a great opportunity to talk about my work and to make people aware of what I am doing. Sharing a passion is always a thrill and it was good to see that after two years of hard working we finally received some recognition. I was curious to notice that the work with the best technical skill is not necessarily the one which will automatically impress the audience. For example, I felt that my work Stone River had technically more impressive drawings. On the other hand, my print of the big native American heads attracted the most attention. I still have trouble explaining this.

chief series This is a series of prints that focus on Native Americans’ facial characteristics. I wanted to work with print making because the hard contrast between the two layers which allowed me to create great effect with light and emotion on the faces.

8 Time, space, movement.

I wanted to show with this work the momentum of light and the effect of time on luminosity. By choosing a static landscape I really wanted to show how light could affect our vision and make the static landscape move. I took twelve pictures, one every hour. I wanted to capture the 12 hours of light from the earliest shards of dawn to the dying embers of nightfall. It was thus interesting to see how the variation of light was more significant in the early and late hours. The contrast of light and shade brought an interesting depth to the pictures, creating a unique aspect of dynamism.

9 LIFESTYLE I am currently in Shanghai, studying Mandarin at Jiatong University until 11th January. I will then be doing an internship at Naรงo, a Shanghai architectural enterprise.

There I hope to be able to immerse myself in Chinese culture and contrast its architectural interpretation with that of my French roots and European experience.

As a hobby I play guitar, bass and drums. For me guitar is all about creation, experiments, innovation and improvisation. Drums are all about rhythm, regularity and precision. Bass is more about humility and devotion. Art and Music helped me link talent and technique to emotion.

Unusually, for someone who craves art as an expression of self, I have been very active in sport.

At the age of 14 I spent a year travelling between my Geneva home and the south of France to train in golf 8 hours a day at weekends. I also ski. After several years of competition, I am working to qualify as an instructor. In my last two years of school I also played rugby for the school team. Sport helped me to manage the pressure of the multiple demands of IB. It has also taught me determination, conviction, cooperation and commitment.

CHOPIN Constantin 101 route suisse - 1296 COPPET + 41 79 884 87 40 c.chopin@hotmail.ch