In Paco Pomet’s ‘Celestial,’ the Sun and Moon Cycle Through Satirical and Outlandish Situations



Art

#books
#moon
#Paco Pomet
#painting
#satire
#sun
#surreal

December 21, 2023

Grace Ebert

“Encounter.” All images © Paco Pomet, shared with permission

A review of Paco Pomet’s paintings from the last few years uncovers an unwavering fascination with the sun and moon. Brilliant glowing orbs appear in the distance and illuminate otherwise gray scenes, while tiny, cratered characters with cartoonish legs and arms wander into homes and hang out on rooftops.

This recurring theme culminates in a new limited-edition monograph featuring 29 paintings created from 2017 to 2022. Aptly titled Celestial, the book evidences Pomet’s enduring satirical and absurdist impulses. In “Encounter,” the moon floats with two businessmen on a makeshift raft, while “On the Road” depicts a vintage car traveling toward a United States-shaped sun on the horizon. The artist has shared previously that he believes human pursuits—and failures—are cyclical, making the sun and moon fitting metaphors for modern struggles, whether in the case of unchecked capitalism and environmental destruction or seemingly endless moral quandaries.

“Celestial bodies and stars have fascinated me since I can remember,” the artist says. “The sun and the moon are an endless source that throw very strong and mysterious statements for us: time, space, duration, darkness, light, beginning, finalisation. Their presence, and the power they have to convey feelings, has no boundaries.”

Celestial is currently available in Pomet’s shop, along with several prints. Find more of his work on Instagram.

 

“Melancholy Surgery Unit”

a blue painting of a cabin with a man propping a ladder against its roof. a tiny moon with legs and arms sits on the roof while the sun rises in the distance

“After Hours”

a black and white painting of a sterile room. on the table, a man and a dog paddle in a small canoe. a sun illuminates a sink

“La Llegada”

a blue painting of a log cabin in the woods. a tiny moon character opens the door to walk in with the light from the sun emerging from the doorway

“Eclipse”

a vintage car drives down the road toward a united-states shaped sun on the horizon

“On the Road”

a black and white painting of people in bed in a hospital with a bright yellow sun in the doorway in the distance

“An Ending”

a book cover with a cartoon style moon sitting on a snowy mountain. Paco Pomet Celestial is written at the top

#books
#moon
#Paco Pomet
#painting
#satire
#sun
#surreal

 

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