Sassy Dreams is a series of paintings, hand-drawings and prints by French artist Nans Rivat. The virtual exhibition is a curation of 26 artworks from that series.
It all started with a quote from Marguerite Yourcenar in Memoirs of Hadrian: “…some mysterious ban keeps us from bringing back with us in their true form even the remnants of our dreams....” What fascinates Nans in dreams is how clear and precise they feel when one is experiencing them but how abstract and sometimes absurd they become the minute one wakes up. The entire series is about that concept, about those contrasts in colours, materials and technics : the extremely detailed vs. the abstract, the shiny texture of spray painting vs. the matt effect of acrylics.
Illustration and drawing are at the centre of what Nans does and a strong focus of that series. He used his favourite media: acrylics, markers, pastels, spray paint and digital drawings. Each piece is a different dream, from a fantasy rose garden to a psychotic nightmare.
The exhibition is also a technological journey. The paper invitation (see attachment) sent by post is inviting people to scan a QR code in order to access a virtual gallery. In those times of social distancing, Nans leveraged technology and innovation to make his artistic vision accessible to everyone without compromising on the intimate and mind-wandering experience that Art provides.
This virtual exhibition is Nans' interpretation of dreams through the lens of painting and drawing. The exhibition runs from 7th to 31st October 2020.
For additional information about the exhibition or to acquire a piece, please use the contact form or email us at sales@nansrivat.com
It all started with a quote from Marguerite Yourcenar in Memoirs of Hadrian: “…some mysterious ban keeps us from bringing back with us in their true form even the remnants of our dreams....” What fascinates Nans in dreams is how clear and precise they feel when one is experiencing them but how abstract and sometimes absurd they become the minute one wakes up. The entire series is about that concept, about those contrasts in colours, materials and technics : the extremely detailed vs. the abstract, the shiny texture of spray painting vs. the matt effect of acrylics.
Illustration and drawing are at the centre of what Nans does and a strong focus of that series. He used his favourite media: acrylics, markers, pastels, spray paint and digital drawings. Each piece is a different dream, from a fantasy rose garden to a psychotic nightmare.
The exhibition is also a technological journey. The paper invitation (see attachment) sent by post is inviting people to scan a QR code in order to access a virtual gallery. In those times of social distancing, Nans leveraged technology and innovation to make his artistic vision accessible to everyone without compromising on the intimate and mind-wandering experience that Art provides.
This virtual exhibition is Nans' interpretation of dreams through the lens of painting and drawing. The exhibition runs from 7th to 31st October 2020.
For additional information about the exhibition or to acquire a piece, please use the contact form or email us at sales@nansrivat.com
The Video Presentation
Discover the inspiration behind the series through an interview video with Nans Rivat.
The Exhibition
The virtual exhibition presents 26 artworks from the Sassy Dreams series; an interpretation of dreams through painting and drawing.
The Catalogue
Discover the full catalogue of the exhibition and details on the 26 pieces. For additional information about the exhibition or to acquire a piece, please use the contact form or email us at sales@nansrivat.com
Prices range from £70 (for a print) to £1,000
Prices range from £70 (for a print) to £1,000
Sassy Dreams IX - Cleopatra & Socrates (1/2), 2020
84 x 59.4 x 2 cm acrylic on canvas Sold "Cleopatra and Socrates" is inspired by the fanciful and legendary death of the famous Egyptian queen and Greek philosopher ; one committing suicide with a snake and the latter sentenced to death by the drinking of a mixture containing poison hemlock. |
Sassy Dreams IX - Cleopatra & Socrates (2/2), 2020
84 x 59.4 x 2 cm acrylic on canvas Sold "Cleopatra and Socrates" is inspired by the fanciful and legendary death of the famous Egyptian queen and Greek philosopher ; one committing suicide with a snake and the latter sentenced to death by the drinking of a mixture containing poison hemlock. |
Sassy Dreams VIII, 2020
90 x 65 cm acrylic on canvas Sold Not every dreams end up with a happy ending. Sassy Dreams VIII is a magnification of nightmares and glorification of our darkest dreams. |
Sassy Dreams VII (4 of 6), 2020
42 x 29.7 cm Pastel (soft and hard) on paper Price Request Sassy Dreams VII is a series about the symbolics and different layers of dreams. Snakes and self representations can embody ambiguous and confusing meanings. |
Sassy Dreams VII (2 of 6), 2020
42 x 29.7 cm Pastel (soft and hard) on paper Price Request Sassy Dreams VII is a series about the symbolics and different layers of dreams. The piece number 2 plays with the contrast between a sea of snakes and pastels / gentle colours. |
Sassy Dreams VII (3 of 6), 2020
42 x 29.7 cm Pastel (soft and hard) on paper Price Request Sassy Dreams VII is a series about the symbolics and different layers of dreams, playing with the notion of time that is strongly distorted. |
Sassy Dreams VII (1 of 6), 2020
42 x 29.7 cm Pastel (soft and hard) on paper Price Request Sassy Dreams VII is a series about the symbolics and different layers of dreams. Self representation and self portrait are representing here the mystery around the vision of ourself in dreams. |
Sassy Dreams III (Blue), 2020
42 x 42 cm Digital print (Limited edition of 10) Somerset 330gsm paper Buy now Sassy Dreams III is a journey through a fantasy and Machiavellian garden. Printed by Jealous Studio and limited to 10 editions. |
Sassy Dreams III (Red), 2020
150 x 150 cm Digital print (Limited edition of 1) Somerset 330gsm paper Price Request Sassy Dreams III is a journey through a fantasy and Machiavellian garden. The "Red" edition is a unique print of 1 edition. |
Sassy Dreams IV (Red), 2020
42 x 42 cm Digital Print (Limited edition of 10) Somerset 330gsm paper Buy now Between the end of a dream and the moment one wakes up, our sensations start to fade; the faces become abstract, the bright colours become pale and details disappear. Sassy Dreams IV is inspired by that short but intense journey between dream and wake-up. |
Sassy Dreams IV (Blue), 2020
42 x 42 cm Digital Print (Limited edition of 10) Somerset 330gsm paper Buy now Between the end of a dream and the moment one wakes up, our sensations start to fade; the faces become abstract, the bright colours become pale and details disappear. Sassy Dreams IV is inspired by that short but intense journey between dream and wake-up. |
Sassy Dreams IV (Green), 2020
42 x 42 cm Digital Print (Limited edition of 10) Somerset 330gsm paper Buy now Between the end of a dream and the moment one wakes up, our sensations start to fade; the faces become abstract, the bright colours become pale and details disappear. Sassy Dreams IV is inspired by that short but intense journey between dream and wake-up. |
Sassy Dreams VI, 2020
100 x 77 x 3 cm Acrylic on canvas Sold Snakes are recurring symboles in the series and in dreams; sometimes evil creatures, sometimes protectors against diseases and rats, sometimes sexual representation of the phallus. |
Sassy Dreams II (1 of 3), 2020
32 x 24 cm Pastel (soft and hard) on paper Sold Sassy Dreams II (1 of 3) is a journey through a butterfly garden. Although the pastel pale colours and the butterflies portrait a peaceful environment, a skull shaped flower creates a gloomy and contrasted atmosphere. |
Sassy Dreams II (2 of 3), 2020
32 x 24 cm Pastel (soft and hard) on paper Sold Snakes are recurrent symboles in the series and in dreams; sometimes evil creatures, sometimes protectors against diseases and rats, sometimes sexual representation of the phallus. In Sassy Dreams II, the snakes morph with garden to become a psychotic nightmare. |
Sassy Dreams II (3 of 3), 2020
29.7 x 21 cm Pastel (soft and hard) on paper Sold Sassy Dreams II (3 of 3) is the reminiscence of a peaceful and dreamy walk through a rose garden. |
Sassy Dreams I (1 of 6), 2019
29.7 x 21 cm Pastel (soft and hard) on paper Sold Sassy Dreams I is the genesis of the series. The drawings were made through "spontaneous drawing", creating a direct connection between dreams and paper. |
Sassy Dreams I (2 of 6), 2019
29.7 x 21 cm Pastel on paper Sold Sassy Dreams I is the genesis of the series. The drawings were made through "spontaneous drawing", creating a direct connection between dreams and paper. |
Sassy Dreams I (3 of 6), 2019
29.7 x 21 cm Pastel on paper Sold Sassy Dreams I is the genesis of the series. The drawings were made through "spontaneous drawing", creating a direct connection between dreams and paper. |
Sassy Dreams I (4 of 6), 2019
29.7 x 21 cm Pastel on paper Sold Sassy Dreams I is the genesis of the series. The drawings were made through "spontaneous drawing", creating a direct connection between dreams and paper. |
Sassy Dreams I (5 of 6), 2019
29.7 x 21 cm Pastel on paper Sold Sassy Dreams I is the genesis of the series. The drawings were made through "spontaneous drawing", creating a direct connection between dreams and paper. |
Sassy Dreams I (6 of 6), 2019
29.7 x 21 cm Pastel on paper Sold Sassy Dreams I is the genesis of the series. The drawings were made through "spontaneous drawing", creating a direct connection between dreams and paper. |
Sassy Dreams VII (5 of 6), 2020
52 x 37 cm oil on paper Buy Now Sassy Dreams VII (5 & 6) is a summer dream in rose garden. The white oil painting on black paper is inspired by photo negative, the raw product behind the picture. |
Sassy Dreams X, 2020
84,1 x 59,4 cm Spray paint and pastel on paper Price Request Sassy Dreams X explores the symbolic of dreams through the lens of ancient languages. |
Sassy Dreams XI, 2020
84,1 x 59,4 cm Hard pastel on paper Buy Now Sassy Dreams XI, the last piece of the series, is focused on illustration with a minimalist approach to colours in contrast with the maximalist shapes. The dream is a rose, which once processed through our imagination, becomes abstract. |