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3/11/2010

Henny Acloque

First Floor Projects, London

First Floor Projects is delighted to present an exhibition of paintings by Henny Acloque.

Taking Bruegel’s sixteenth century Tarot cards as her principle influence, Henny Acloque produces startling images that, once seen, are difficult to forget: sombre figures in red cloaks stand with heads lowered amidst Bruegel’s dark and foreboding landscapes. The artist confesses to feeling ‘nervous’ standing in front of Bruegel’s paintings, and Acloque’s work – peppered with skulls and meat cleavers – possesses an ominous and disturbing aura.

Far from merely imitating Bruegel’s style, however, Acloque has made the images her own. There is a vibrant energy in her work that she attributes to her ‘obsession’ with Spain, and the ‘raw culture’ she finds there. A land of bullfighting and flamenco dancing, Acloque is also fascinated by the religious fervour she witnessed at events such as Semana Santa, and pointed blood-red hats feature prominently in her work, which are undoubtedly symbols of that passionate display of penance. These hats also provide an additional function, shielding all faces from view. The heads of figures in all Acloque’s work are replaced with either a skull, a pointed hat, or a tessellated cluster or circles that completely obscure the figures’ identity: we feel we know these characters, recognising them from well-known tarot scenes, and yet we are not permitted to know them – we never see their face.

The artist’s decision to heavily varnish her work unifies the layers of paint, and gives the images a plastic, tangible quality. Yet instead of appearing ‘shut’ or complete, the colours seem to jump, springing from canvases, assaulting the viewer with their exuberance. Similarly, far from producing a static effect, the resin reflects the viewer, giving the painting movement, and the viewer’s implication in often shocking scenes is intentionally unnerving.

Acloque deliberately chose to remain ignorant of the precise meanings behind each of Bruegel’s tarot cards. By allowing herself simply to react to the images, the artist encourages a conflict between the conscious action and the instinctive response, between the knowing and the unknown, the sombre figures in their recognisable landscapes versus the vibrant and bewitching ‘other’. Visitors leave an exhibition of Henny Acloque’s work knowing a little less but feeling a little more.

Henny Acloque was born in 1979 and lives and works in London. She completed her BA (Hons) in Fine Art at the University of West England and has since gone on to exhibit in London, Liverpool and Berlin. In 2008 she undertook a residency with Zoo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has most recently exhibited with Ceri Hand Gallery, both in Liverpool and in London.

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Private Views Wednesday 3 November | 6.30 - 8.30pm
Thursday 4 November | 6.30 - 8.30pm

First Floor Projects
5 Redcliffe Gardens, London
Viewing by appointment at all other times

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