THE PHYSICIAN OF THE FINAL HOUR - Tuğrul Pekgenç & Valeria Gypsette | TRÆVOL™ Gallery

THE PHYSICIAN OF THE FINAL HOUR White vapor rises from the instrument in his gloved hand. A ribbed hose connects it to the metal reservoir at his waist. Behind him, glass bottles catch the light of a tall Gothic window. Beneath the brim of his hat, dark lenses conceal his eyes. The long beak of his mask holds his expression in silence. Light grazes worn leather, stitched seams and polished metal, then disappears into the folds of his coat. Clock faces accompany him upon his hat, his chest and the vessel beside his body. Their hands continue to move while he stands still. Reimagined through the intricate machinery of steampunk, the plague doctor becomes a solitary figure keeping watch at the edge of an uncertain hour. In the vapor curling above his hand, there is the possibility of another breath. In the weight of his equipment, the resolve to remain. Rendered entirely in black, white and shades of gray, the work brings fine oil-painting textures into deep shadow and concentrated light. Every reflection seems to hold a small part of the surrounding darkness at bay. We do not know whom he has come for. Or whether he has arrived in time.