FOCUS
ON THE SERIES
INITIALS BB
This FOCUS takes a closer look at paintings nos. 01, 02 and 04 from the current exhibition in our viewing room.
Current exhibition
painting no. 01
Current exhibition
painting no. 04
Current exhibition
painting no. 02
The LETTER B
in four
orientations
The letter B is engraved repeatedly on each painting in the INITIALS BB series. It evokes the initials of the French actress Brigitte Bardot.
The letter appears in four orientations. It can be upright or upside down, and in either position it can also be mirror-reversed.
Each orientation represents a digit: 0, 1, 2 or 3. This allows messages to be encoded as sequences of digits in base 4.
ART &
MATHEMATICS
Alongside the base-4 system represented by the four orientations of the letter B, two binary systems share the same black circles. Each circle carries two binary digits. One is encoded by whether the circle is filled or hollow, and the other by whether it is large or small.
Mathematical calculations determine where the letters and circles appear on the canvas as part of the CODE BACH® encryption process.
A love song
encrypted
in the paintings
Several messages in the INITIALS BB paintings draw on the lyrics of “Initials B.B.” by Serge Gainsbourg.
The messages are encrypted using the CODE BACH® process.
the twelve paintings
in the series
Initials BB
The INITIALS BB series comprises twelve small-format paintings, ranging in size from 21 × 29.7 cm to 40 × 50 cm.
Acrylic on canvas and mount board.
Painted in 2024.
DIGITAL
SETTINGS
OTHER ENCRYPTED PAINTINGS
IN OUR CURRENT EXHIBITION
EXPLORE
OTHER FOCUSES
Discover the stories behind other paintings by Jean-Claude Bossel.
