CONTEMPORARY ART AWARDS 

This online exhibition is a series of photorealistic drawings that explore the relationship between a magician's tricks and the optical illusions of technical drawing. The works in this exhibition are a testament to Virginie's technical abilities and her inner process and thinking. 

 

- Contemporary Art Awards

 

Magicians are masters of illusions, through the use of smoke and mirror tricks, magicians have successfully deceived their audiences by blurring the lines of reality to give the appearance that they are performing magic. An optical illusion is like a 'magic picture'. Except every drawing and painting is nothing more than one great optical illusion. An optical illusion is defined as 'something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality'. Therefore, the Black Magic (2017) series is about how drawing technicity and light can lead a viewer confused between reality and illusion. Our expert eyes and brain will use the light and lines to determine what it is we are looking at and decide from what is visible.

Shrouded in symbolism, Black Magic (2017) is a reflection of the medium itself. With a theme of magic and illusions, it will leave the viewer wondering if they are viewing a drawing or photograph. Drawing on black paper is quite unforgiving, there can be no mistakes as they cannot be entirely hidden once made, which is another one of the many similarities between this way of representing objects and magic. Darkness does not exist without light, nor does magic exist without illusion, and through Black Magic (2017), I aim to lead the viewer on a path of wonder and question art and its abilities to change perceptions. 

 

- Virginie Senbel-Lynch