Carré Blanc

Carré Blanc series
(White square)
Antoine Schmitt 2015
Paper, pen
Size A4 : 21 x 29.7cm
Unique copy

The Carré Blanc series is a work on the traditional tension between chaos and order, focalized here on the human mind, and especially on the tension with the Superego (Ûber-Ich), the internalization of all the social, moral and cultural rules. A fundamental tension, at the origin of numerous knots of the human psyché. Of course, it is also a reference to the figure of the square, so beloved by Vera Molnar, Manfred Mohr, Frieder Nake and all the other early electronic artists, in addition to being the central figure of my strongest influence, Malevitch, and my main figure too, with the pixel.

The Carré Blanc are plotter drawings, done in real time by a computer on an old pen plotter, by running an algorithm with a simple rule : “free” scribbling but with a forbidden central square zone, which is nonetheless very attractive. Each drawing is done with different dynamics for the scribbling. I ended up preferring very random scribblings. The drawing is made in real time before my eyes by the program, and I stop the drawing algorithm, by hitting the stop button, when I decide that I like how the drawing looks at that point and that I do not want it to evolve any more. I have used various pen (Bic pen, blue ink, black ink), which give various depths and precisions to the drawings.

Each drawing is unique. They are all numbered by date and number within this day.

This series is my first series on paper, and stands in spirit somewhere between Le Pixel Blanc and Pixel Noir.