LES AMOURS CONTRARIÉES

Les Amours contrariées
2015
Oil on canvas
116 x 89 cm

Les Amours Contrariées stands as an eloquent example of artistic hijacking and the subversion of genre codes. Originally a nineteenth- or early twentieth-century oil painting, it depicts a middle-aged man sitting with quiet assurance, a slight strangeness in his inquisitive gaze. 
What immediately catches the viewer's eye is the wry smile on the lips of this enigmatic figure. As our gaze descends to explore this work further, a subversion of expectations becomes apparent. In the man's left hand is a small red whip, an unexpected element that clashes with the conventions of the time and suggests a 'kinky' character, evoking unusual and deviant practices in the field of sexuality. But the subversion doesn’t stop there. The black garter stockings peeking out from under her coat, in contrast to the usual grey period trousers, raised even more questions. This enigmatic and seductive thigh questions gender norms and the expectations associated with them. Blase's hijacking of this painting in 2015 adds a contemporary dimension to this exploration of kink. The artist plays with codes and meanings, transforming a once conventional image into a bold statement of sexual freedom and self-expression. In examining Les Amours Contrariées, it is impossible not to evoke the reversal of gender roles, a theme explored by Marcel Duchamp in his iconic "L.H.O.O.Q.". Just as Duchamp defied convention by adding a little moustache to the Mona Lisa, Blase takes up the brush to defy expectations and question gender norms, while celebrating non-conformity.