Monument to an Existentialist. Acrylic Pop Art Painting on Canvas
Twin dancing figures face one another, each framing a grey outline image of the same woman, presented as a carving on a stone monument. Collectively, the composition suggests a form of reverence, perhaps a shrine to thought, art, and dance.
Symmetrical background elements reinforce the notion of a constructed monument.
The poses of all three figures are drawn from an elegant dance sequence in the 1964 Jean-Luc Godard film Bande à part.
Their calm yet expressive energy reflects the presence of Danish-French actress and filmmaker Anna Karina, one of Doug’s recurring muses.
The film sequence embodied a sense of freedom and existential expression, set against the expectations of conformity at the time. Karina and Kierkegaard would probably say existents-forhold, plus and there’s nothing that Nietzsche couldn’t teach ya’ about the raising of the wrist.
Doug transforms cinematic memory into Pop Art iconography, creating a tribute to Karina and the broader existential spirit she embodied.
*Artist Doug Kemp with ‘Monument to an Existentialist’ painting
Existentialist – An existentialist is someone who believes life has no fixed meaning and that people must create purpose through their own choices, actions, and experiences.
Existentialism focuses on freedom, responsibility, identity, and the search for meaning.
