Review of the work “No Smoking” by Jicé
No Smoking is a painting of imposing dimensions (120 x 120 cm). It is a continuation of his exploration of urban and industrial landscapes. Like most of his works, it is marked by an aesthetic that is both raw and poetic. This painting presents the dynamism of an industrial environment where the human presence, often discreet, is felt through a dense atmosphere.
The composition is dominated by angular shapes and superpositions of layers. She is a perfect example of the artist's mastery in her field. Buildings and metal structures rise vertically, giving the impression of a growing city. Architectural elements appear to disintegrate and reassemble, creating a feeling of perpetual movement.
The color palette plays a key role in the visual impact of this work. Electric blue, a recurring signature at Jicé, is juxtaposed here with shades of orange and yellow. It creates a striking chromatic contrast. Blue, a symbol of modernity and industrial cold, is counterbalanced by the warmth of orange tones, which bring vitality to the scene. These colors suggest the artificial light of factories or construction sites. It’s easy to imagine workers manipulating steel and concrete to shape the environment. Gray and black, omnipresent in the upper part, give an oppressive density to the composition, evoking a certain harshness specific to industrial landscapes.
One of the significant elements of the work is the use of mediums. Acrylic paint combined with oil and different complementary mediums recall the materiality of the industrial world, as if Jicé wanted to transpose the roughness of metal and concrete surfaces onto the canvas. The effect is reinforced by the slightly unstructured appearance of the shapes, where the lines and angles are never completely straight, perhaps symbolizing visual imperfection.
The title No Smoking also invites reflection on the relationship between the worker and the industry. This simple warning, often seen in workplaces, speaks to the strict regulation in manufactured environments, between what is allowed and what is not allowed. It suggests a place where rules are omnipresent, where the individual blends into the structures imposed by civilization.
The absence of visible human figures in No Smoking is notable. As in most of Jicé , it is the traces of human activity, rather than the humans themselves, that tell the story. The scene is dominated by industrial structures, but one feels a silent, almost ghostly presence. Man seems to have been relegated to the background, absorbed by the immensity of his own environment.
