Palimpseste géologique IX

Palimpseste géologique IX

H33 cm, L24 cm, framed

Braided strips of paper from a technical report by the Geological Society of France (1971), drawn in red ink.

Fragments of scientific text, cut into strips and then braided, form a regular grid of squares. In each one, lines and curves drawn in red ink give rise to unique patterns.

Inspired by writing, ideograms, and stamp impressions, these signs oscillate between language and abstraction. They evoke the elements of an alphabet to be deciphered, whose meaning remains to be invented.

The work as a whole takes on the appearance of a swatch book, an inventory of signs, or a collection of motifs. The regular repetition of the grid contrasts with the freedom and irregularity of the drawings. Each square becomes a variation, a graphic unit that interacts with the others and contributes to the overall composition.