D*Face

In this exhibition, D*Face immerses us in his singular universe and unique style, imbued with pop art imagery and punk culture. The street art legend invites us to explore the range of sensations and emotions inspired by the world of driving and love.

The title of the exhibition, Target Fixation, comes from a phenomenon derived from driving and motor sport. The term is used when a person concentrates so hard on an observed object that they unconsciously increase the risk of colliding with it.

D*Face’s work is inspired by the parallel between the intense thrill of motor racing and the euphoria that accompanies a new romantic obsession. These two psychic states both engender a vulnerability that can make individuals susceptible to distraction or potential pitfalls.

Like his previous exhibition at Galerie Itinerrance, D*Face has created original works that subtly address the question of the ephemeral and the eternal. Target Fixation establishes the character of the pilot, both female and male, as a central figure in his theme of lost love.

“The term ‘Target Fixation’ refers to a common tendency in riders, drivers and pilots to overly focus on an obstacle, hazard or indeed their target, to the point that they end up colliding with the very thing that they were trying to avoid in the first place. I’ve been there, I’ve done it. It’s a bizarre mix of knowing that your focus is wrongly placed, but that you’re unable to shift it. Like a moth drawn to a light, you can’t help but stare at the very thing you’re trying to avoid. I’ve been there on motorbikes, I’ve been there in my personal life and it’s as if the more you try and dodge the inevitable outcome, the more you double down and focus harder on it.

To me, there’s something fascinating and deeply human about this phenomenon – letting yourself become so deeply preoccupied by a goal, achievement, or final outcome that you end up loosing sight of all surrounding consequence, to the point of potential self destruction. Remove the vehicle in the equation and it feels like the post pandemic version of target fixation is our relentless obsession with A. Ones self. B. Other peoples lives C. How we are perceived. Whether it be our pursuit of material possessions, relationships, or the idealized versions of ourselves projected through social media, anticipated success so often leads ironically to self destruction. Just take our fascination with trying to hold back time or worse, reverse it – plastic surgery, body dysmorphia, the 8th sin; self obsession.

When thinking about how to visually portray this term, little seemed more appropriate to me than motorsport, not only because it’s where the concept of ‘target fixation’ originated from but because it exemplifies that ‘winner takes all’ mentality that drives people to put themselves in dangerous situations, risking their lives in pursuit of glory, fame… notoriety.”

D*Face