Olivia Mutelet paints abstraction that is a variation on a theme. Her work manifests a connection to architectural, hard edge drawing or representation that is super-imposed by an abstraction. In it, detailed and abstracted hard edge motifs float in a sphere, or a purely abstract yet defined space, accentuated by mixed-media reliefs and a mood-inspired color palette. The pace of the discourse is kept through an innovative handling of the viewer’s perspective, often offering a bird’s eye view of the process of reconstruction. This mix of dynamics is indeed the organic signature of the French-born artist.

The deliberate choice of symbolism reflects the artist’s current experience starting with her childhood years in France and Switzerland before moving to the United States. Seemingly familiar shapes and rich use of hues that point to a mood entrap the viewer into a dialogue over the seemingly calculating, mathematical segmentation of the world in which we live. Subjects are identified by marked and unmarked specific grid-like locations on a control board. Yet, through predictable placement of the very same symbolism, Mutelet describes the longing to connect through movement as well as the atmosphere of Love and Passion that is essential in order to achieve a reconnected humanity.

This reconnected humanity is best illustrated in Alexandrie and Nuit Doree. In this series, the artist depicts vividly the tranquility of the landscape in the still of the night. The brightness of the enlightment is represented by the shiny gold leaves faithfully reflected on the surface

Mutelet’s work might suggest a redirection of the vision of Piet Mondrian (1872-1944). The Montreal-based artist creates a fascinating collection of uniquely modern works of art that reflect a high degree of originality in artistic and philosophical outlook relative to the Spontaneity Painting movement.