Sanithna | La Petite Mort Revisitée

We’ve had the honor and privilege of working with Atlanta fine artist Sanithna Phansavanh for over seven years now. We’ve witnessed his growth firsthand, and throughout his creative journey, we’ve collaborated on a number of projects from t-shirts to limited edition prints. Our collaborative efforts go back to 2012, when we first released “La Petite Mort,” a beautiful piece that depicts a feeling of ecstasy entering the female body. Because of its unique vertical shape and aesthetic appeal, the print activated any given space. The piece also demonstrated the artist’s early interest in exploring and examining the human condition via the human figure.

Since 2012, Sanithna has evolved and reinvented himself. “La Petite Mort” heavily depended on line and geometric shapes to depict the female figure. Today, Sanithna employs fewer lines and shapes to equally convey the female figure, thus demonstrating the growth of his technical abilities but, most importantly, his growth as an artist.

In honor of our collaborative history, we are happy to announce the release of “La Petite Mort Revisitée,” featuring three unique prints that revisit the original release of 2012. “La Petite Mort Revisitée” maintains the same feeling of ecstasy as the original release but takes on a different path of exploration through color and line simplicity. The result is three beautiful and intriguing prints that depict the artist’s creative growth and his continued exploration of the human figure.

We caught up with the artist to learn more about his approach and inspiration behind “La Petite Mort Revisitée.” You can find the interview below as well as process shots of the limited edition prints releasing on Friday, March the 8th. 

“La Petite Mort” was a big success. How do you feel about revisiting this piece seven years later?

The first print is a clear marker of where I was, technically and stylistically, and using it to visually track the evolution of my work, to where I am now, felt like a fun and intriguing exercise. Being able to compare the two pieces, to see the different approaches to composition, color, and mark-making, gives me really valuable insight. It’s kind of like being around a kid that’s growing. If you’re constantly around the growth, it’s not a dramatic thing. But, if you haven’t seen the kid for a few years, that growth is going to be surprising.

Could you tell us about the inspiration behind this new interpretation of “La Petite Mort”?

“La Petite Mort” is a French phrase that translates to “The Little Death.” It’s an expression which describes the feeling you have after an orgasm, that brief moment where your existence seems to disintegrate and you experience transcendence — spiritual release through physical release. So, I tried to express that idea with the visual elements: the brushwork is sparse, fragmented, and imbued with energy, and the palettes describe the arc of the experience. The pink colorway, “Blush,” corresponds to the initial spread, the blue/magenta/black colorway, “Vibrate,” maps to the intense highpoint, and the red/black/gold colorway, “Dissolve,” represents the final melting away of body and mind.

How do you think your work has evolved throughout the years?

I think the biggest evolution has been in why I create art in the first place. Starting out, it was rooted in this need to show art as proof that I existed. Now, I’m much more interested in the process of creating art, of losing myself in the flow-state that art inherently provides. Beyond that, my skillset has been refined and expanded, which means that my mark-making is more confident. I think there’s a familiar DNA in my aesthetics, but how I apply it is determined by what I’m trying to achieve conceptually (instead of leading with a visual or stylistic goal). From a conceptual standpoint, I find myself wanting to simplify and reduce elements to only what’s necessary, to distill an idea to its essence.

Why do you choose screen printing when it comes to making limited edition prints? Considering the other printing options available such as giclée, etc?

Favorite creative tool?

Any advice for up-and-coming artists in Atlanta?

What projects are you currently working on?

Any shows in the works?

“La Petite Mort Revisitée” releases Friday, March 8th at 12:00 PM EST at dangerprints.com

Get a closer look into the making of La Petite Mort Rivisitée in the video below.