Teken in Orion

Eugène Brands made his first surrealist assemblages during the Second World War. ‘The Constellation of Orion’ comprises a number of painted cupboard shelves onto which the artist glued canvas and a magazine photo of the star constellation Orion. A black star-studded sky is painted on a section of canvas on the bottom shelf. A ‘sign’ resembling a Japanese character has been painted on the canvas placed across the shelves. The power of the work is enhanced by the use of a restricted palette mainly consisting of the colors black, white, green and red. From an early age, Brands was fascinated by magical elements such as the infinity of the cosmos and perpetual movement. These themes feature prominently in his work. ‘The Constellation of Orion’ was first displayed in the legendary CoBrA exhibition ‘Exposition Internationale d’Art Experimental’ staged in 1949 at the Stedelijk Museum. Brands was briefly affiliated with the CoBrA movement.