La Cage Suppliant les Dieux 2014

Sandra Chevrier made "La Cage Suppliant les Dieux", a watercolor and collage, sometime around now. What strikes me is how the superhero comic book fragments become almost like a second skin. It's applied so deftly, you can't tell what was laid down first, the watercolor or the collage. The drips of paint running down the figure disrupt the comic book images but also emphasize the tension between control and chance. This combination of watercolor and collage has a physical presence that is undeniable, it’s both delicate and assertive. Look at the way the collage is applied on the face, it almost looks like a mask, with raw edges, suggesting both strength and vulnerability. There's something about the layering that reminds me of Wangechi Mutu's work, who also uses collage to explore identity and representation. It’s like this piece is in conversation with art history, constantly questioning and redefining what it means to create an image.