Alain Biltereyst
17 Jan - 28 Feb 2014
ALAIN BILTEREYST
Untitled Compositions
17 January - 28 February 2014
NoguerasBlanchard is proudly presenting the exhibition “Untitled Compositions” by Alain Biltereyst (Belgium) within its exhibition programme “The Story Behind”. A group of 12 paintings are going to be shown.
Much of contemporary art is recreated in the story about itself, narratives that mediate between the work and the viewer either to convey the artist’s intention, explain the working process that underlies the images, or reveal deliberate and purposeful interpretations. Many artists use art to experiment with the modalities and mechanisms of storytelling; to narrate, to recount and to explain the interpretive universe surrounding our direct experience, which becomes another feature of these works. The Story Behind presents a group of works where stories, whether fictional or real, manifest and embody the oral and parallel world that accompanies the images.
A first look at the works of Biltereyst reminds us of the geometric abstraction paintings and the hard-edge of the sixties. However, his compositions are inspired by urban visual imagery. What seems to be a reference to a Josef Albers, a Kenneth Noland or maybe more a Helio Oiticica actually refers to logos of transportation companies, banks, traffic signs or exterior decoration on trucks from the eighties. With this mechanism of references and ownership of the surrounding visuals, Biltereyst brings up the controversy about the exchange of references between art and design. Paradoxically his paintings are inspired by the design that was once inspired by art.
In one of his projects Biltereyst took a group of real-estate advertisement posters out of their context. Leaving only the colour planes and the graphic lines, the result was a collection of images that simulated the most severe neo-concrete current levels of juxtaposed colour. It seems that the mission of Biltereyst’s works is to discover and show us the overlap and the connection between the visuality in our everyday life with all its strong artistic influences and references that we are surrounded by without being conscious of.
Another aspect of his work is the format, which is always very discrete and sized around 23 x 16 cm. The works are precise designs on modest surfaces and if we have a closer look a whole new world is opens up. We are able to see the brush strokes of acrylic paint, coloured veins attached to the raw wood, imperfections, lapses, everything is shown, nothing is hidden. As Merleau-Ponty had said: 'Painting celebrates no other enigma but that of visibility.'
Alain Biltereyst lives and works in Brussels.
Recent Exhibitions: Notes, Devening Projects, Chicago; Ice Water Flyswatter, curated by Douglas Witmer, Tiger Strikes, Asteroid Gallery, Philadelphia; Why not ... / Biennale Internationale d’Art Non Objectif, curated by Roland Orépuk, Hang’Art, Grenoble; Solo, Secret Kitchen Gallery, Temse, Belgium; That Being Said, Jack Hanley Gallery, New York; Precise Operations, curated by Alexandra Kennedy, Antwerp; Factor 44, SECONDroom, Antwerp; Paper Work, Devening Projects + Editions, Chicago; Neue Stille, curated by Manuela Kleckx, Vous Etes Ici Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland.
Untitled Compositions
17 January - 28 February 2014
NoguerasBlanchard is proudly presenting the exhibition “Untitled Compositions” by Alain Biltereyst (Belgium) within its exhibition programme “The Story Behind”. A group of 12 paintings are going to be shown.
Much of contemporary art is recreated in the story about itself, narratives that mediate between the work and the viewer either to convey the artist’s intention, explain the working process that underlies the images, or reveal deliberate and purposeful interpretations. Many artists use art to experiment with the modalities and mechanisms of storytelling; to narrate, to recount and to explain the interpretive universe surrounding our direct experience, which becomes another feature of these works. The Story Behind presents a group of works where stories, whether fictional or real, manifest and embody the oral and parallel world that accompanies the images.
A first look at the works of Biltereyst reminds us of the geometric abstraction paintings and the hard-edge of the sixties. However, his compositions are inspired by urban visual imagery. What seems to be a reference to a Josef Albers, a Kenneth Noland or maybe more a Helio Oiticica actually refers to logos of transportation companies, banks, traffic signs or exterior decoration on trucks from the eighties. With this mechanism of references and ownership of the surrounding visuals, Biltereyst brings up the controversy about the exchange of references between art and design. Paradoxically his paintings are inspired by the design that was once inspired by art.
In one of his projects Biltereyst took a group of real-estate advertisement posters out of their context. Leaving only the colour planes and the graphic lines, the result was a collection of images that simulated the most severe neo-concrete current levels of juxtaposed colour. It seems that the mission of Biltereyst’s works is to discover and show us the overlap and the connection between the visuality in our everyday life with all its strong artistic influences and references that we are surrounded by without being conscious of.
Another aspect of his work is the format, which is always very discrete and sized around 23 x 16 cm. The works are precise designs on modest surfaces and if we have a closer look a whole new world is opens up. We are able to see the brush strokes of acrylic paint, coloured veins attached to the raw wood, imperfections, lapses, everything is shown, nothing is hidden. As Merleau-Ponty had said: 'Painting celebrates no other enigma but that of visibility.'
Alain Biltereyst lives and works in Brussels.
Recent Exhibitions: Notes, Devening Projects, Chicago; Ice Water Flyswatter, curated by Douglas Witmer, Tiger Strikes, Asteroid Gallery, Philadelphia; Why not ... / Biennale Internationale d’Art Non Objectif, curated by Roland Orépuk, Hang’Art, Grenoble; Solo, Secret Kitchen Gallery, Temse, Belgium; That Being Said, Jack Hanley Gallery, New York; Precise Operations, curated by Alexandra Kennedy, Antwerp; Factor 44, SECONDroom, Antwerp; Paper Work, Devening Projects + Editions, Chicago; Neue Stille, curated by Manuela Kleckx, Vous Etes Ici Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland.