California

A change of register. The background is an almost-black midnight blue, with a few cobalt highlights emerging around the figure. Against this darkness, Luxxo stands out in a light sand color, upright and facing forward, arms at their sides. Where other destinations explode with color, GNelly opts here for contrast: light against night, like a Pacific beach after sunset.

The head, broad and round, is worked with a palette knife in circular strokes that remain visible in the thickness of the paint. Two thick, glossy black crosses serve as eyes. A fuchsia patch marks the temple, and a row of small circles follows the curve of the skull like stitches. The body stays in creams and whites, crossed by three navy-blue bands running down the torso like stripes. A few flashes of vivid pink and a touch of red at the end of one arm brighten the whole, while a fine raised yellow line outlines the entire figure, like neon.

The memories of the trip are there, but expressed in a hushed tone. The word “California” runs vertically down the chest in small capitals. A yellow sun with fine rays opens across the torso, and a golden flourish crosses the belly. On one arm, a small heart outlined in red, a column of circles, and a yellow spring winding along the edge. On the other, a double row of black dots. At the very bottom, a grid drawn in a quick stroke, like a game of tic-tac-toe left unfinished.

The hand-painted frame is inverted too: cream against a dark background. Luxxo’s name runs vertically along the right edge, and GNelly’s signature appears in black inside a light-colored cartouche at the bottom right.

It is against a dark background that the automotive varnish really comes into its own. The midnight blue becomes a deep mirror, like a car hood beneath the city lights, reflecting the entire piece. The figure’s light-colored raised details seem to float on its surface.

A unique piece, more graphic and more nocturnal, between pop art and street art, signed and delivered with its certificate of authenticity.