'De Chirico repeated the same images throughout his life. I believe he did it not only because people and dealers asked him to do it, but because he liked it and viewed repetition as a way of expressing himself. This is probably what we have in common.' - Andy Warhol.
I thought that the concept of artists who use repetition in their work was too interesting a concept for an exhibition to forego, and so it was I found myself visiting Omer Tiroche for - Eat, Sleep, Paint, Repeat - a small, but fascinating show devoted to a diverse group of artists who contributed to different art historical movements using acts of repetition in the production of their work. More or less all artists happen across a style, technique or medium that they feel comfortable with which then becomes their signature, or recognisable way of working. This is perhaps most obviously represented here by the work of Andy Warhol repeating not only images themselves taken from repetitive, mass-produced imagery in newspapers, and then repeating these ad nauseum through his easily identifiable silk-screen printing technique. Damien Hirst also represented here was famed for employing an army of apprentices in his studio to repeat his Spot Paintings, producing numerous different versions of them. I enjoyed seeing Christopher Wool's repetitive use of a rubber stamp to create a pleasing trellis/grille-like pattern, as well as Yayoi Kusama's Dot Obsession spotted canvas, as I too am currently creating a new series of spotted works. Having only discovered the obsessively painted drops of water on canvas by Kim Tschang-Yeul for his Drip Series, it was interesting to find one included here. How wonderful to see one of these paintings in the flesh and learn that he used the process of repetition in painting this series as a means of meditative healing from the atrocities he witnessed in the Korean War. This show brings together a diverse range of artists and is well worth a repeat, (ahem) visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment