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Manuela Klerkx
Art taken from life (I/II)
Everyone knows what a 'readymade' is, namely an industrial object removed from its everyday context and placed in an artistic setting, such as a museum, in order to be labelled as a work of art. Marcel Duchamp introduced this concept in the early 20th century and ever since, the reuse or repositioning of 'objets trouvés' has been adopted in everything from subtle to extreme forms by countless artists. Since the Pop Art movement, the industrialised object has virtually been canonised and, strengthened by the rise of conceptual art, has become quite commonplace in contemporary art. We’re all familiar with Warhol's Campbell soup cans, the magnified everyday objects of Claes Oldenburg (such as the screw, clothespin or toothbrush=, Jeff Koons' inflatable dog and Damien Hirst's stuffed animals. U.S.-based Israeli artist Haim Steimbach focused on the selection and arrangement of industrial objects from the early 1980s, exploring the psychological, aesthetic, cultural and ritual aspects of everyday objects and their context. His influence can still be felt in the work of artists who, consciously or unconsciously, investigate, adapt or reuse the 'value' of an existing object, garment or utensil. This in turn can result in humorous and absurd art, as well as art that encourages us to think about our behavioural patterns, past and future. Today: part one of the two-part series 'Art taken from life'.
1 Éléments multimédias ᛫ 7 Oeuvres disponibles
4 Spectacles ᛫ 0 Points forts ᛫ 0 Recommandations
‘Don't treat life as a waiting room', 'Self-care gets boring very quickly', 'Freedom day my ass' are a few of the sayings found on a number of used tea towels that are stitched together, featuring embroidery from the good old days and socially critical texts that London-based artist Alke Schmidt (1964) adds to the geometric patterns of old, blue, white, red coloured and faded drawing canvases. Schmidt is keenly interested in social and ecological developments and the question of how, as artists and/or citizens, we approach our past. She conducts research into historical museum collections and heritage sites and incorporates, among other things, the questions that arise in the process into her paintings. In doing so, she often uses pre-existing decorative patterns and images on fabrics, stitching or prints due to their historical, cultural or symbolic connotations and associations they evoke. Schmidt's work places contemporary issues and observations within an historical context, reflecting her belief that we must engage with the past to understand and improve the world of today.
Represented by PontArte
Represented by PontArte
3 Éléments multimédias ᛫ 14 Oeuvres disponibles
9 Spectacles ᛫ 0 Points forts ᛫ 0 Recommandations
The work of Belgian artist Johan de Wit (1960) is made of paper reinforced with resin and enriched with iron powders and pigments. The artist's technical mastery is astonishing yet subtle. At first glance, his work evokes an association with an existing and familiar object – until it becomes clear that these are actually far quieter, peaceful and timeless. Logos and scan codes are missing and we suddenly realise that we are looking at something that is beyond reality. Melancholy and a sense of gravity permeate his work, as in Morandi's still lifes. Yet, it also has humour, comfort and caring. De Wit stops time, as it were, as if inviting you to take a break together with his work, a pause from the hectic pace of everyday life, and take refuge in the poetic side of life. In solitude. With little colour. And without details or sound.
Represented by Galerie Ramakers / Rutger Brandt Gallery
Represented by Galerie Ramakers / Rutger Brandt Gallery
0 Éléments multimédias ᛫ 9 Oeuvres disponibles
2 Spectacles ᛫ 0 Points forts ᛫ 0 Recommandations
Mirror, mirror on the wall… Zeespiegel (sea level, lit. sea mirror, ed.) by Kamagurka (aka Luc Zeebroek, Belgium, 1956) depicts a gentleman (Kamagurka himself) buttoning up his white shirt while looking in the mirror and not only seeing himself, but also the drawn head of a man about to drown at sea. As if the artist wants to say that we cannot escape ourselves, nor the impending climate catastrophe, and should take a proper look in the mirror. ‘Show, don’t tell’ is Kamagurka's motto and he knows better than anyone how to take on controversial aspects of daily life and, with that, the whole of humanity. He holds up a mirror to us without moralising, but with a good dose of humour. With his indisputable knack at drawing, Kamagurka excels at sketching tragicomic situations that depict the 'condition humaine': with a sense of the absurd and subtle sorrow. Kamagurka is well known as a cartoonist, theatre and television producer and singer, but is in fact a multidisciplinary artist. There is no subject, situation or character that he draws, plays or otherwise portrays without it becoming unmistakably a 'Kamagurka'. And if that's not art, what is?
Represented by Christian Ouwens Gallery
Represented by Christian Ouwens Gallery