Love, love, love...
This happy refrain from the Beatles crossed my mind when I first encountered Patrick Rubinstein’s work, and it keeps popping in my head whenever move around his playful optical and pop artworks. Inspired by the 60s, its indie rock scene and pop artists, Patrick Rubinstein could be called a pop artist, but he is so much more than that.
He merges his love for popular culture, from the 1950s to today, with intriguing illusion techniques pioneered by optical artists, giving his art a dynamism that invites viewers to walk around and step closer to pierce each artwork’s secrets. Three-dimensional optical artworks are bound to lose some of their appeal in a two-dimensional catalogue, so I am delighted to invite you to visit the exhibition for the full experience! However, you will also find QR codes throughout the catalogue, please scan them to access videos giving you a peek at the stunning optical effects of each artwork.
I am delighted to hold this exhibition, “Love in Motion”, Patrick Rubinstein’s first solo exhibition with Ode To Art, in early February 2023. We chose the season of love, after long years of pandemic, to lift your spirits. I hope his lively, relatable, and whimsical works will bring a ray of sunshine to you and your home.
All you need is love
We are also honoured to feature Patrick Rubinstein’s latest series “Exception”, remarkable for its muted colour palette associated with luxurious gold leaf and silver appliqués. These works are not only activated by the viewer’s gaze, but also by the light reflecting on these precious materials.
Introducing this unique artist to Singapore is a pleasure and an honour. greatly admire the man beyond the artist, his humour and his humility. Despite forging a successful path for himself, he never stops paying homage to his idols and inspirations. An economy of words translates into large, bright, and colourful paintings that speak to adults and children alike.
Step into a captivating world of love, music, and art with Patrick Rubinstein’s “Love in Motion”, at Ode To Art in February 2023.
Jazz Chong DirectorBiography
Patrick Rubinstein was born in 1960 in Paris, during the time of British rock, cinema and American pop. His childhood had a lasting impact on him and inspired his artistic expression throughout his life.
Growing up in a family that introduced him to art at an early age, Patrick Rubinstein acquired a passion for cinema from his mother, and inherited his inventive spirit from his father, who was the first to introduce him to the techniques of kinetic art. This initiation to culture from his youth was pivotal for his future artistic creation.
The artist draws his themes from both the past and the present. He meticulously sculpts and refines his artworks like a goldsmith, resulting in a mesmerizing outcome: Patrick Rubinstein presents the viewer with a futurist and avant-garde body of work.
He sold his first artwork at the age of 18. Never ceasing to innovate, he spent many years refining and perfecting both his technique and his artistic expression to be able to present the internationally acclaimed artworks of today.
Biographie
Patrick Rubinstein est né en 1960 à Paris, qui vit alors à l’heure du rock britannique, du cinéma et du pop américain. Son enfance le marque durablement et nourrira plus tard son langage artistique.
Il grandit dans une famille qui le sensibilise à l’art. Il reçoit de sa mère sa passion du cinéma, et de son père un esprit inventif. C’est lui qui l’initie le premier aux techniques de l’art cinétique. Cette initiation et la culture de sa jeunesse seront décisives dans sa création artistique future.
L’artiste puise ses thèmes dans le passé et le présent. Il cisèle ses œuvres comme un orfèvre. Et le résultat est saisissant : Patrick Rubinstein nous offre une œuvre futuriste et avant-gardiste.
À 18 ans, il vend ses premières œuvres. N’ayant jamais renoncé à innover, ce n’est que bien des années plus tard que l’artiste perfectionne sa technique et son langage pour offrir aujourd’hui une œuvre internationalement reconnue.
Techniques
Uniting the principles of optical art and kinetic art, Patrick Rubinstein’s sophisticated works are known to trick the eye, and push the boundaries of his viewers’ perceptions.
The pioneers of optical art developed their artistic expression through geometric abstraction. Patrick Rubinstein reinterprets the style: embracing optical play, he chooses figuration as his means of expression. His source of inspiration is diverse, encompassing contemporary art, pop art and street art. Perpetually innovating in his techniques, the artist aims to present a multifaceted art. He never ceases to surprise!
The Double Principle depicts the fusion of two images designed to blend into one. This newly merged image is applied on a medium in an ‘accordion’ configuration. The application on this medium recreates, at 45° angle, two original images that can be seen from both sides. As spectators move around the artwork, several other images are revealed to their eyes through the delicate interlacing of the two images.
The Triple Principle depicts three images, one central and two lateral ones. The side views are created by strips inserted perpendicularly to the central image. Two distinct images are visible, from both sides at 45° angle. This technique allows visual variations when the spectator moves around the work, while maintaining the defined sight of the central image.
The result of these two techniques is captivating, giving the artworks an animated and perpetually renewed aspect. The viewer’s movement is not the only element that affects these visual variations, the light direction and intensity also contribute to the artwork’s kinetic effect, creating infinite variety. Discover these stunning visual effects throughout this catalogue, with close-ups and QR codes linking to videos of the artworks, to further delve into Patrick Rubinstein’s optical secrets.
Techniques
Patrick Rubinstein présente une œuvre associant les principes de l’art optique (Op Art) à ceux de l’art cinétique, exploitant ainsi la faillibilité de l’œil.
Les pionniers de l’art optique ont fondé leur langage artistique sur l’abstraction géométrique. Patrick Rubinstein renouvèle le genre: sans renoncer à l’intérêt des jeux optiques, il choisit la figuration pour langage. Ses sources d’inspiration sont multiples, au croisement de l’art contemporain, du Pop et du Street Art.
Patrick Rubinstein est souvent surprenant: il renouvèle continuellement ses sources d’inspiration, tout en innovant techniquement, présentant ainsi une œuvre aux multiples facettes.
Le principe du Double réside dans la fusion de deux images conçues pour se fondre en une. Cette nouvelle image fusionnée est appliquée sur un support à profil en accordéon. L’application de l’image sur ce support recrée à 45 ° les deux images originelles de part et d’autre. Plusieurs autres images, en entrelacs des deux vues, naissent par le déplacement du spectateur autour de l’œuvre.
Le principe du Triple réside dans trois images, une centrale et deux latérales. Les vues latérales sont créées par des lamelles insérées à la perpendiculaire de l’image centrale. Elles offrent deux images distinctes, de part et d’autre, à 45°. Cette technique permet des variations des perceptions dans le mouvement, et assure une vision évidente de l’image centrale.
L’effet de ces deux techniques est saisissant, donnant aux œuvres un aspect vivant et perpétuellement renouvelé. Le mouvement n’est pas le seul élément de variation de la perception. En effet, l’intensité lumineuse et de l’orientation de la lumière jouent aussi sur l’effet cinétique de l’œuvre.
Découvrez ces effets visuels inattendus tout au long de ce catalogue, en explorant les plans rapprochés et les QR codes qui vous redirigeront vers des vidéos qui permettront à vos yeux de vous déplacer autour des œuvres et de, peut-être, en découvrir plus sur les secrets d’optique de Patrick Rubinstein.
Patrick Rubinstein Pop Art in Motion
Scan QR code to watch video
