But what is the subject matter?
Having initially drawn highly technical objects – motors, parachutes, and nudes too – the artist’s attention has now turned to “space, quantum physics, galaxies, particles, light, waves”. From her Paris apartment, Cyrielle explores these themes through what is considered today an unusual technique: pointillism. The artist explained: “I overlay lots of dots of different shades until the surface is totally covered. It takes days to produce the sense of depth I look for.”
“Whilst making my creations, I realised that the form supported the idea of my subject matter. I’m really fascinated by particles, to such a degree that I feel I’m representing reality in the most reliable way, as if I was representing each individual atom and the space that separates them. In the end, in hyperrealism, pointillism is a metaphor for matter.”
S002, 19:23, 2018 Acrylic ink on archival paper
Whilst her initial works were in black and white, the artist – in collaboration with the Show Gallery in Los Angeles – now produces her work in colour.
The story so far?
Born in 1994, Cyrielle Gulacsy was initially an Artistic Director at an agency, but a passion for creating won her over: “I couldn’t work anymore, and my friends encouraged me to take the leap.”
“In the past I had already had the chance to exhibit my work, notably at the DDessin fair, where the public reception was very good. I had some work shown in New York a few months later, and although hardly anybody came, a major Parisian gallerist was there. Their response really motivated me to keep going.
The influences?
I’ve always liked artists such as Escher, but it took me a long time to appreciate color. Then I had to wait to experience it myself to feel the effect of Rothko, Léger and Miro.” Rather than citing Signac or Seurat, Cyrielle references instead James Turrell and Stephen Hawking.
S011, 21:21, 2018 Acrylic ink on archival paper 47 x 33 inches framed
The future?
“Recently I’ve been working on electromagnetic waves and the distortion of light by the phenomenon of the gravitational lens. I also have an exhibition project focusing on not only light itself, but also on its perception.”
As she is without specific scientific training, Cyrielle recently met a number of physicists at CERN for one of her projects. “I want to go further, and the only way to do so is to get a hold on mathematics and physics, even if it takes me years.”
S008, 06:13, 2018, Acrylic ink on archival paper
Amongst the projects she mentions is the creation of a particle chamber “which would allow us to visualise in real time the movement of particles from supernova explosions, millions of lightyears away from Earth.”
Aware that the majority of her subject matter is somewhat abstract, Cyrielle hopes that the aesthetic and emotional dimension won’t be drowned out by the research which is inseparable from her creations: “I want my works to exist above this scientific dimension. But if people are also interested in the basis of the work, it will add an interesting aspect.”
