The World Order / Faust by Juan Araujo marks a continuation of the artist’s fascination with reproduction and reappropriation of archival material. This spellbinding work is based on an image Araujo found in an old illustrated volume of Goethe’s 19th century interpretation of the German legend of Faust. Here, Araujo depicts the moment the main protagonist meets Gretchen in the woods for the first time. What is of central importance to this work is that Araujo has painted the scene to resemble the grainy appearance of the time worn pages of the book it came from. This effect is heightened by Araujo’s very successful use of Goethe’s Theory of Colour. The work is bathed in an effervescent glow, making it instantly transporting and a challenge to our perception of the original.
© juan araujo, photo credit: stephen white