This Useless Beauty

Marked by the use of diffused light and brushstrokes—reminiscent of shallow focus in cinematography—the atmosphere of the Belgian artist’s Patrick Vertenten (b. 1964) oeuvre is one of nostalgia and melancholia. Inspired by film, literature, poetry, and music, Vertenten recuperates found imagery from various sources before transforming them into a brand-new entity, examining the bitter- sweetness of humanity and life in general; loneliness, weakness, intimacy, desire, and Sehnsucht. Moved by the beauty of the picture, the viewer is invited to explore the image in its new context, possibly striking a nerve or two, in which the dark tones of the picture resonate with the burden of life, reviving in the contrast of the symbolic and painterly highlights.