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About Gavo's "Solitude"
The Depth of Solitude
Solitude evokes the focused freedom found in solitude.
Some viewers see the painting depicting deep, primal oceans. Others get a sense of mountain peaks.
In reality, there are elements of both. For example, this detail suggests some ancient sea creature, deep in the ocean.
The Peaks of Solitude
Other imagery hints at icy mountains , where both thought and air become rarified.
The Duality of Solitude
Solitude lets us contemplate both big, reaching ideas and the vast depths of our own minds, with those thoughts dovetailing into each other.
In this detail, you can see mountain peaks leading up to the tail of some primordial sea creature, as when abstract thoughts lead to an understanding of our own minds.
Facts about Gavo's "Solitude"
Some people feel physically cold when they see it.
The deep ocean and icy mountaintops suggested in this painting, combined with the icy color palette, make some viewers feel physically cold. This phenomenon is known as "synesthesia".
It uses dual symbolism.
Many of Gavo's paintings use dual symbolism, in which the juxtaposition of opposites reveals something that emerges between them. This is also found in The Elephant and the Mouse and in Before the Idea. Solitude explores the contemplation and self contemplation found in solitude.
Different images appear at different distances.
For example, it's easier to see the "sea creatures" up close. However it's easier to see the "trees" from a distance. You can experience this by downloading the high resolution image for free above, and zooming in and out.