The art piece story:

This 70x50cm acrylic painting serves as the inaugural piece of Axelle Salvage's Ways of Life collection, presenting a richly layered meditation on temporality through the intimate lens of domestic space. Like stepping into a philosopher's study transformed into a domestic theater, the composition invites viewers into a contemplative sanctuary where past, present, and future coexist in harmonious dialogue.

The Past, The Present, The Future I

The Background: Guardians of Memory:

The painting's foundation rests in the realm of the past, where a framed artwork dominates the upper wall, featuring a classical Greek figure rendered in timeless marble tones. This silent sentinel places a finger to her lips, embodying the mysteries and secrets that history keeps locked away. Surrounding her are the symbolic treasures of ancient Greece: delicate vases, olive branches, the watchful owl of Athena, Zeus's thunderbolt, and the eternal meander pattern that speaks to life's continuous journey. A stately stone column anchors the composition, while Salvage's signature blue Bird of Salvage nestles within this classical tableau, creating a bridge between ancient wisdom and the artist's contemporary vision.

Below this temporal window, a carefully curated shelf displays the artifacts of human curiosity and achievement. Ancient books with weathered spines hold centuries of knowledge, while an old vessel — perhaps once used for maritime adventures in dreams — sits ready for future journeys. A trophy containing a duck speaks to challenges overcome and victories celebrated, while two elegant tea-pots await future gatherings and conversations. Small sculptures in warm gold and copper tones catch the light, accompanied by carved wooden figures that whisper of craftsmanship and tradition. Dark, rich curtains frame this collection, creating an atmosphere of scholarly intimacy.

The lighting itself tells a story through an extraordinary lamp: its base sculpted as a blue fish — reminiscent of those swimming through Salvage's Waterfall series — supports a shade decorated with flowing algae and marine life. The lamp rests upon a small table whose base transforms into a graceful flamingo, adding a touch of whimsy to the setting. Suspended nearby, a green sculpture draws inspiration from a Chinese Ordos bronze belt plaque from the 6th-4th century BCE, visible at the Cernuschi Museum in Paris, connecting this intimate space to ancient civilizations across continents.

The Middle Ground: Figures in Contemplation:

Two women occupy the present moment, their faces rendered in pure white — a deliberate choice that transforms them into vessels of introspection and universal human experience. The first figure, dressed in deep green, assumes an acrobatic position of remarkable grace and strength, her dark hair contrasting with her ethereal face. On her foot is a painting depicting hands engaged with white cards — perhaps cards of destiny or choice — while a mysterious dark crystal ball holds court over two birds: a Japanese crane and an Egyptian ibis, symbols of longevity and wisdom from distant cultures. Violet leaves drift around this scene of divination and possibility.

The second woman, her curly hair framing her contemplative white face, sits upon a simple cardboard box — perhaps a keeper of memories, a humble container for the past's treasures. She wears dark purple, the color of deep thought and spiritual contemplation. Near her, an open book reveals the face of a yellow Bird of Salvage, while beside it lies a plush toy version of the same creature, waiting to be mended with a needle nearby. This touching detail speaks to the care required to preserve what we love, the gentle maintenance needed to keep our connections to joy and wonder intact.

Beneath her legs, a delightful micro-drama unfolds that connects this work to Salvage's broader narrative universe. A tiny blue mouse — a beloved character from the artist's Temptation series (Temptation 1) — clutches a flan pâtissier in its small hands, while a dark brown cat crouches nearby, eyes fixed and body tensed, ready to pounce. This miniature scene echoes the blue mouse's memorable appearance in Temptation 1, where it yearned for a slice of the very same pastry it now possesses. Though small in scale, these characters add a layer of playful tension to the present moment, reminding us that even in contemplative spaces, the eternal dance between desire and pursuit continues.

The Foreground: Life in Motion:

Even in this space of contemplation, life refuses to stand still. A beloved dog — Salvage's recurring storyteller — races across the foreground, carrying in its mouth a blue Bird of Salvage plush toy, clearly a treasured companion. The dog's attention is captured by a delicate pink butterfly, embodying the eternal chase between the tangible and the ephemeral, between what we can hold and what we can only pursue.

Pink petals drift throughout the composition like temporal confetti, suggesting an unseen bouquet somewhere beyond the frame. These floating elements create movement and connection across all three temporal zones, perhaps representing the emotions and dreams that transcend time itself. An hourglass is prominent in the foreground — the ultimate symbol of time's passage — its sand marking the eternal present moment that exists between what was and what will be.

Temporal Symphony:

This work lies in how the artist has woven past, present, and future into a single, coherent narrative space. The past speaks through artifacts, classical references, and the wisdom of ages. The present manifests in the contemplative figures, the active dog, and the charming interplay between mouse, cat, and coveted pastry — all existing in the immediate, lived-in quality of the space. The future whispers through symbols of adventure (the vessel), achievement (the trophy), community (the tea-pots), and choice (the cards of destiny).

This painting captures the essence of how we actually experience time — not as linear progression, but as layered experience where memory, immediate sensation, and anticipation coexist in the rich complexity of a single moment. It's a meditation on how our homes become repositories of temporal experience, where every object carries its own timeline while participating in the larger story of our lives, and where even the smallest characters — a determined mouse with its prize, a watchful cat — contribute to the ongoing narrative of existence.