Double means more than single

Portrait – double, or single

Double means more than single. This phrase is in stark opposition to the famous saying of the famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Roche - less is more. It has been coined by him as a challenge to the status quo. He used to express the view that a minimalist approach to artistic or aesthetic matters is more effective. This guideline has been a guide for me when creating graphics.

Double portraits, what do they reveal?

Many artists created double portraits. In these paintings, it is often not easy to determine who is the main character, who is the person being portrayed. The presence of two gives the artist opportunities for juxtapositions of forms and colours. Simply put, the artist has more subjects at his disposal. The composition can be more interesting and rich in content. In addition, there is the possibility of challenging the viewer: look and decide. Who is more important? Which figure is figure two? Or - what do they say about themselves through their composition, through the situation they create?
In my graphics, the forms permeate each other. Sharp-edged cracks form on the lines of their intersection. One would like these to be harmonious combinations. Life is full of different situations. Some of them must be described with sharp forms. People are close to each other but as outliers. These ambiguous situations are of interest to the artist. Simplicity and unambiguity are not intriguing, they can sometimes be boring. And above all, it is far from the truth about life. Life is a game full of ambiguous situations.

Watch my film about Double Portraits