Aaron van Erp
dal 23/11/2008 al 20/12/2008
Segnalato da
23/11/2008
Aaron van Erp
IBID Projects London (old location), London
A solo exhibition of recent paintings by Dutch artist, his deftly painted canvases show a renewed interest in the tactile qualities of paint as an expressive medium combined with the formal possibilities of figurative representation. His painted world is bleary, sometimes disturbing, and inhabited by a cast of victims and perpetrators, burnt-out landscapes and familiar domestic objects that float across the sky in disconcerting narrative configurations.
IBID PROJECTS is pleased to present a solo exhibition of recent paintings by Dutch artist Aaron van Erp. Since graduating from the St. Joost School of Fine Art and Design s’Hertogenbosch in 2001, van Erp has quickly established a reputation as one of the foremost exponents of a younger generation of painters who are working in the wake of neo-Expressionism in Europe. Having garnered significant critical appraisal following two recent museum solo shows at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag in 2007 and the Museum Der Stadt, Ratingen in 2008, his deftly painted canvases show a renewed interest in the tactile qualities of paint as an expressive medium combined with the formal possibilities of figurative representation.
At first sight, van Erp is unafraid to allude to issues that can be harrowing. The artist addresses such contemporary social problems as terrorism, torture or violence. His painted world is bleary, sometimes disturbing, and inhabited by a cast of victims and perpetrators, burnt-out landscapes and familiar domestic objects – such as flying bacon, vegetables, football shirts or newspapers – that float across the sky in disconcerting narrative configurations. Considerable debt is apparent in van Erp to the handling and colour pallete of such predecessors as James Ensor or Francis Bacon. What is also shared is a vision of a Bataille-esque experience that can be present in the most common thoughts and experiences, such as the encounter of a lone figure or children playing in a forest, or the depiction of suffering as a humanistic concern.
Van Erp’s canvases are rendered unique through this multitude of references to contemporary elements, as well as the fragmentary way in which parts of the surface are often only half-described, half-painted like spectres or faded memories. At other times, his works benefit from a directness and sharp simplicity. In his work ’Stilleven met dode hond (Still-life with Dead Dog)’ (2008), for example, the remains of a bloody animal lie on the floor of a sparsely decorated room. A red plastic chair and metal-framed bed situate the setting in some sort of unnamed institution, whilst bizarre elements such as a cabbage or the green leaves of bushes sprouting through the floor are picked out in bright flashes of surrealistic detail.
As much as the narrative for van Erp’s paintings could have come from newspaper headlines or the descriptive accounts of different survivors, inspiration could equally be seen to come from popular culture and a nihilistic imagination - or even the lyrics of a hardcore punk band. Many of his works borrow themes directly from art historical sources. The painter has stated that “horrible things frequently also have a funny side”. This is reflected in the way that in works such as ’Dienstmeisje dat naar een inktvis in een boom kijkt (Servant Girl Looking at an Octopus in a Tree)’ or ’Geluidsopname van een neger die een paard aftuigt (Sound Recording of a Black Person Beating the Crap Out of a Horse)’ (both 2008) it is uncertain exactly what or whose memories the canvases describe. Whether the viewer is perpetrator or innocent witness to these events is rarely clear.
Aaron van Erp (b. 1978 in Veghel, Netherlands) has had solo exhibitions including at Gemeentemuseum Den Haag (2007), Sperone Westwater, New York (2008) and the Museum Der Stadt in Ratingen, Germany (2008). He has participated in numerous group exhibitions including ‘Strange Brew’ at Max Lang Gallery, New York, curated by Wolfgang Schoppmann (2007) and ‘Sieben auf einen Streich’ at MARTa Herford (Germany), curated by Jan Hoet (2006).
Image: Servant Girl Looking at an Octopus in a Tree), 2008, oil on canvas 100 x 60 cm
For more information or images please contact Romilly Eveleigh on +44 (0)20 8983 4355 or at: romilly@ibidprojects.com
IBID Projects
210 Cambridge Heath Road London