Description of artwork:
In his paintings, Christian Vinck revisits cultural histories, often through the representation of fragments sourced from historical archives, history books, and documentary films.

In Hacha lítica valencioide [Lithic Valencioid Axe] (Cruxent – Rouse), a single axe from Venezuela’s prehistoric Valencioid culture is rendered in an abstract manner with a variety of grey tones. The stone tool has markings pertaining to its origins as well as an identification number. The title of the work refers to Irving Rouse and José M. Cruxent, two archaeologists who focused on taxonomy and who authored a publication about Venezuelan archaeology in 1963. Set against a solid black background, the artifact appears as if printed in a book...

Vinck invites the viewer to think about structures of classification. His unconventional compositions prompt the question: Who controls the dissemination of culture? The textural brushstrokes Vinck employs emphasize the hand-made quality of the paintings, and suggest that, as an artist, Vinck is also the maker of a new type of artifact.

(Source: Catalogue for the exhibition Portadores de sentido)