Leplesh
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Cet étrange soleil

Picture
This work, titled “Cet étrange soleil” (litt. This strange sun) continues my exploration on the topic of addiction. It's a 5 layer reduction linocut, printed using Caligo Safe Wash ink on Arnhem 1618 rag paper. Image is approximately 9" x 9" and paper is 11" x 14".

I’ve done some more conceptual pieces in the past, but with this one, I simply wanted to represent a common object in the life of addicts. Addiction to nicotine is quite powerful, and a filled ashtray is a common object in a smoker’s environment. It’s as mundane as it gets. It stinks. It’s dirty. It’s basically an open-air garbage can, full of discarded, used up objects. You have to empty and wash it from time to time. It becomes a central part of the ritual of smoking, whatever you end up smoking.

I vividly remember my brother and I collecting tobacco out of butts from ashtrays to roll it up again. We were desperately broke, and just like the sun represents the source of life, a filled ashtray was the source for further smoking. Anyone who’s ever done this knows how disgusting the resulting cigarette tastes, but it provided a severely needed nicotine shot.

The original source image, with its perfect circle and protruding butts, in addition to orange being the main colour, reminded me of a burning sun. That inspired me to adapt the colour palette to mimic an image of the sun.


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© 2023 Leplesh
  • Home
  • About
  • Printmaking
    • Fenêtre
    • Cet étrange soleil
    • Faces of Addiction
    • Sweet Dreams
    • Merman
    • Starac
  • Illustrations
    • I Miss You
    • Juntas en la lucha
  • Music
  • Shop