In Bears + Cherries, Ian Bertolucci orchestrates a rhythmic dance between form and shadow, texture and translucency. Arranged in a deliberate grid, the alternating candy shapes — rotund pink gummy bears and glossy red cherry sweets — create a playful symmetry that echoes the tactile joy of sweets while engaging with painterly abstraction. The cherries, their iconic twin bulbs joined by a flick of green, offer a dynamic counterpoint to the plump, upright bears, resulting in a visual conversation between movement and stillness.
The artist’s use of vibrant colour and carefully rendered shadows adds dimensionality and depth, as if the gummies are not painted but physically present. The shadows themselves become characters, softened and toned to match their sugary counterparts, adding a ghostlike second layer to the composition. Through this interplay of light and colour, Bertolucci challenges the viewer to reconsider the visual power of the everyday, making confections into contemplative objects. It is a joyful, hyperrealist celebration of innocence and indulgence, elevated by the artist’s remarkable control over medium and surface.
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online.
| Dimensions | 30 × 30 cm |
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