Colour & Symbolism:
Four Works Examined
What do you see when you stand in front of an original Briels? An analysis of colour, symbolism and material effects in the four works of this collection.
Colour as a means of communication, not decoration
In the work of Clemens Briels, colour has no decorative function. It is the primary means of communication. Colour choices do not follow realism but an emotional logic: a composition can feel warm and cold at the same time, depending on which area draws attention.
This is clearly visible in the screen print Antigua, a bay a day, after 360 days I’ll settle down for 5 (colour screen print, edition 132/175, 95 by 110 cm, 2000). The title describes a summer journey through 360 bays of Antigua; the colours match this but surpass reality. Tropical tones that are nowhere moderated, a composition that radiates rhythm. Briels takes an existing place as a starting point and enlarges it into something you instantly recognise but have never seen like this before. The edition of 175 pieces is completely sold out at regular galleries; this is copy 132.
The human figure as symbol carrier
Almost all works by Briels contain human figures, but they are never intended to be portraits. They are types, archetypes, symbols of an attitude or emotion. They represent a role, not a person.
This is most evident in Algunos Gentes Hacen la Comedia, Otros No (colour screen print, edition 97/175, 104 by 155 cm, 2005). The title literally means: some people play comedy, others don't. On the panoramic format of 104 by 155 centimetres, Briels places a series of figures next to each other, each expressing their own relationship to that theme: the actor, the spectator, the indifferent, the involved observer. Not moralistic — Briels has a mildness in his observations that is reflected in the colours. Even figures who "don't participate" are given bright tones.
The work is framed in a wooden frame with glass. There is slight damage visible on the frame corners (see the product photos), but the screen print itself is in perfect condition.
"With Briels, the human figure is always a point of view. Not who someone is, but how he or she relates to the world around them."
What you see in front of an original: the painting
There is a fundamental difference between seeing an image of a Briels and standing in front of the original. With his screen prints, that difference is already considerable; with his original paintings, it is indispensable.
The painting You carved out your name in my heart, I was touched to the core (acrylic on canvas, 130 by 100 cm, 2004, 1/1 copy) has a surface effect that reproductions cannot convey. The acrylic paint is built up in multiple layers; the deeper layers are visible through the top layers and give the work a dimension that you only understand when you view it up close. The stylized figures, the theme of love and lasting impression, Briels' signature on the bottom right of the canvas — these are elements that only fully come into their own in the original.
This is the only copy. An original painting by Briels is by definition a 1/1 object. There is no second version, no edition to compare to.
Spatial presence: the 3D wall object
The wall object Yellow Beard of Vegas (acrylic on resin, 49 by 49 by 7 cm, 2000, edition 4/50) is in a category of its own. It is not a painting hanging on the wall; it is a sculpture that happens to be attached to the wall.
The 7 centimetres of depth fundamentally change the relationship with the work. It takes up space, casts shadows, reacts to the light in the room. The resin surface has a reflection that acrylic on canvas does not have: matte zones next to glossy zones, depending on the angle from which you look. At different times of the day, the work shows different colour accents.
Edition 4/50 means: one of fifty copies worldwide. Hand-painted acrylic on resin is a labour-intensive process where each layer needs time to dry before the next can be applied. That makes each copy subtly unique.
Availability and market position
Briels' works are increasingly moving on the secondary market. The screen prints in this collection — editions of 175 pieces — have not been for sale at regular galleries or art centres for years. Anyone who wants to buy a Briels screen print now must rely on private sales or auction houses.
Auction results for Briels can be tracked via Invaluable and Artnet. His work is in the collections of KLM, Philips, ABN AMRO and Ford. He was the official Olympic Artist at the Salt Lake City Winter Games in 2002, in recognition of his international reach. These are verifiable facts, not marketing.
All four works in this collection come with a certificate of authenticity, personally signed by Clemens Briels. The provenance of each work is documented.