AL vs LA Babel I

The image depicts an abstract scene with two ghostly figures kneeling beside a stack of colorful books. Hanging light bulbs and textured backgrounds featuring dark and rusty hues add a haunting, mysterious atmosphere, suggesting themes of contemplation and knowledge amidst chaotic surroundings.

The image depicts an abstract scene with two ghostly figures kneeling beside a stack of colorful books. Hanging light bulbs and textured backgrounds featuring dark and rusty hues add a haunting, mysterious atmosphere, suggesting themes of contemplation and knowledge amidst chaotic surroundings.

Name/Title

AL vs LA Babel I

Entry/Object ID

2020.5.1

Type of Painting

Easel

Artwork Details

Medium

mixed media

Category

Abstract, Objects, On-Display at Calvin University

Made/Created

Artist

Alberto Letamendi

Dimensions

Dimension Description

image size

Height

45-1/2 in

Width

35-1/2 in

Exhibitions

Loan - Spaan Collection @ LaGrave CRC
Spaan Collection - August 27 - November 29, 2024

General Notes

Note Type

Wall Label

Note

Loturak vs. Lokarriak (SER / ESTAR SUJETO)! "Duality" indicates the existence of two different phenomena or personalities in the same person or in the same situation. This is Alberto Letamendi’s project "Loturak vs. Lokarriak "(Basque language) The sense that each one of us is both a being as a person as well as an evolving individual in the sense of becoming is the focus of Letamendi’s work; it is an invitation to reflect and analyze duality, present both individually and collectively in society. The series is presented as a contrasting dialogue, inspired by the writings of authors Franz Kafka and George Orwell, whose works remains relevant today. Kafka’s novels contain characters who walk through a world of disquieting uncertainty, of fears and doubts, from which they never escape. In this project, the disturbed character is represented by AL, a simple individual, like many others. AL constantly looks in the mirror at the image of his Alter Ego, LA, and ponders his situation looking for answers that offer him a way out. In short, a solution to his doubts and fears. These ideas are also reflected and inspired by George Orwell’s 1984 dystopian fantasy - a totalitarian state in which Big Brother is the guardian of society and the supreme judge who sees everything and who is above society. The protagonist of the novel also contemplates his life and searches for meaning in a meaningless society. Letamendi’s paintings address these existential questions and pose queries for the person and their place in society.