Mathias Chetrit, known by the artist name “Falcone,” currently has work on view at the Alma Hotel and Lounge in Tel Aviv and is part of group show at Galerie Marciano Contemporary in Paris. Represented by Gefen Fine Art Gallery in San Francisco. Whitewall sat down with Falcone to discuss the light, mirror, and optical illusions that have become his language.
WHITEWALL: Where does your passion for art comes from?
FALCONE: I have deep roots in the history of art. The art foundation of my grandfather, passionate about geometric and kinetic works, was in a way the playground of my childhood. Optical and kinetic art has always fascinated me—the appearance, futuristic currents, and modern technologies surprise and amaze. For me, creating is all about sharing: sharing a passion, an emotion, or a hope.
WW: What are your artistic influences?
F: The unstructured paintings of Carmelo Arden Quin intrigued me, the way he played with the reliefs of Agam and those of Soto. Circles and squares, endlessly supported by form and color, lead him to go further, and to multiply the image. The game I play with the mirrors is inspired by the Italian and French artists of the ‘60s—Paolo Scirpa and Christian Megert—and revived by more contemporary artists like Ivan Navarro.
WW: What materials do you use and what is your method of work?
F: My tools are neon, Plexiglas, lead, and mirror. Light reflections and vortex effects are my goals. The design of my works begins with a work of collage of Plexiglas and mirror ,in which I weld a luminous structure, the LED, and light ribbons in changing colors.
WW: What do you like about kinetic art?
F: Kinetic art surprises and stimulates. It is the movement of the spectator who participates in the work that I appreciate. There is a playful side. I like to stimulate the participation of the spectator and to play with and modify his perception according to his displacements. I then seize the space and want to transport the spectators into my world of light and color.
