Steel Stillman
17 May - 21 Jun 2008
Steel Stillman
Whether
17 May - 21 June 2008
In the exhibition 'Echo' (2003) of Steel Stillman in Galerie van Gelder irregular lightgrey arrays of dots were shown forming abstract planes which created surprisingly illusionistic lightness in the space. This lightness is now in his exhibition 'Whether' overturned to the opposite. As well in the wallpaintings as in the photos space is covered up. These uncanny black planes hide something from one's view, through which the viewer may only speculate what is behind the surfaces. Even in case of the abstract wallpaintings the spectator can only guess what is hidden behind the partial darkness. Instead of looking at a black hole the viewer is optically confused, as if the surface moves towards the viewer. Altogether the repeating cover ups create a striking denseness and a subdued atmosphere in the exhibition.
In the front space the backside wall is painted in a typical Steelman monochrome greyish blue colour. Factually the wall has been painted like a wall is usually painted, but the rectangular form of the portrait photo covered with a black square hiding the face of an older man near to it combined with Steelman's bluegrey wall generates unexpected image interpretations. In the large room the same person on the photo is seen in his youth, also with a black square right on his face. At the opposite wall photos of interiors are partially covered. The persistent repetitions of the black planes in all the works of his exhibition produce a serious and unusual play of time and space.
Recently Steel Stillman participated in 'History, Use & Borrowed Landscape' in John Davis Gallery, Hudson, New York (curated by Nancy Shaver) and in 'Painted Faces', Kinkead Contemporary in L.A. In June 2008 he will have his first solo exhibition in Mandarin Gallery, also in Los Angeles, California.
Whether
17 May - 21 June 2008
In the exhibition 'Echo' (2003) of Steel Stillman in Galerie van Gelder irregular lightgrey arrays of dots were shown forming abstract planes which created surprisingly illusionistic lightness in the space. This lightness is now in his exhibition 'Whether' overturned to the opposite. As well in the wallpaintings as in the photos space is covered up. These uncanny black planes hide something from one's view, through which the viewer may only speculate what is behind the surfaces. Even in case of the abstract wallpaintings the spectator can only guess what is hidden behind the partial darkness. Instead of looking at a black hole the viewer is optically confused, as if the surface moves towards the viewer. Altogether the repeating cover ups create a striking denseness and a subdued atmosphere in the exhibition.
In the front space the backside wall is painted in a typical Steelman monochrome greyish blue colour. Factually the wall has been painted like a wall is usually painted, but the rectangular form of the portrait photo covered with a black square hiding the face of an older man near to it combined with Steelman's bluegrey wall generates unexpected image interpretations. In the large room the same person on the photo is seen in his youth, also with a black square right on his face. At the opposite wall photos of interiors are partially covered. The persistent repetitions of the black planes in all the works of his exhibition produce a serious and unusual play of time and space.
Recently Steel Stillman participated in 'History, Use & Borrowed Landscape' in John Davis Gallery, Hudson, New York (curated by Nancy Shaver) and in 'Painted Faces', Kinkead Contemporary in L.A. In June 2008 he will have his first solo exhibition in Mandarin Gallery, also in Los Angeles, California.