Reinhart Revilla Selvik’s "The Silver Cord" depicts hazy forms in deep blues, purples, and pinks against a background that gradually shifts in value from light to dark red, as it reaches outward from the center of the canvas to its four corners. The constant shift between the sharp and soft edges defining the forms creates a sense of rapid, erratic movement. Transparent shapes radiating outward from the forms, mimicking an afterimage effect, contribute to that sense of action. However, despite the appearance of chaos, the forms are coordinated in their movement; they maintain their distinctive shapes while acting within the confines of their shared space.
These motifs serve as a continuation of Selvik’s area of study— that is, his exploration of time, memory, and identity, and how they intersect with one another. In his own words regarding the piece’s place at the 2024 LBCC Alumni Exhibition, he stated that he had “been thinking a lot about the distance between what is remembered and what is, and what is forgotten.” Through The Silver Cord, Selvik navigates the relationship between the passage of time, the erosion of memory, and the creation of unique identities and perspectives in the face of a harsh and uninviting environment.
Description written by Emiliana Dar Santos, 2025.