“7” (2013)
MIXED TECHNIQUE
The number seven first appears in 7 works to Max Ernst from 1986. Since then, it has returned regularly in Camiel Van Breedam's oeuvre. In addition to its many classical, religious and spiritual connotations, the number primarily provides a structural frame of reference. In this arrangement, three series of seven works refer to the three media that run like a thread through Van Breedam's oeuvre. They capture the essence of sixty years of artistry. On the left are seven sculptures in Corten steel, against the back wall are seven collages and on the ground are seven assemblages. A red seven in mirror image serves as the title, but also refers to the favorite color of the artist, who has invariably dressed in red for decades. As the color of the revolution, among others, but also through its association with the redskins - who have inspired him since childhood - red underscores Van Breedam's social commitment and his disgust for any loss of culture or any form of oppression.