Wane And Ruin (WAR) is a series of paintings on paper that evokes war, any war, a timeless and seemingly inexorable phenomenon to which humanity has always been exposed, in every era and in every place.

The brownish colour (varnish on paper) of all the paintings recalls this dull, earthy and monochrome tint taken on by all the cities that have been destroyed by bombing. Several visual "kinemes" are depicted in the drawings of the series: falling, running, fleeing, a sensation of deflagration and distortion of the contours, or a threatening posture, for instance. They seek to capture the major upheaval in behaviour and the destruction of shapes that war-torn situations generate.
They remind us that war is nothing but decline, wane and ruin.

Wood varnish (wax rustic oak tint); small spalter brush; square handle of a pencil; A4 white paper (80 g).

Clara Maïda, February 2018