Steel Stillman
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For the exhibition 'Echo' in 2004 the New York artist Steel Stillman contrasted small black and white paintings on wood panels with large wall paintings
of series of grey dots. These illusionistic wall paintings have been shown in Galerie van Gelder publicly for the first time representing aspects of
space, specifically the architecture of the gallery itself and images of abstracted interiors. The irregular arrays of dots make up abstract planes
which tilt and curve into space. The contrast between the small black and white works showing details of furniture and interiors, in combination with
his enormous wall paintings make a sympathetic plea for the power of the large as well as the small. In the exhibition 'Whether' in 2008 Steel Stillman
uses the same contrast of the small, in this case photos of partly covered portraits and obscured interiors, and large wall paintings showing echo-like oval shapes, again hard edge painted.
Steel Stillman has exhibited at John Davis Gallery (curated by Nancy Shaver), Hudson, New York and at Kinkead Contemporary in L.A. This spring he will have a solo exhibition at Mandarin Gallery, also in Los Angeles, California.
His first artist book "Staring" was published in 2002 as a Galerie van Gelder Edition. Another artist book "There" was published in 2004 by Onestar Press in Paris.
Exhibition 'Whether'
17 May - 21 June 2008
Steel Stillman has exhibited at John Davis Gallery (curated by Nancy Shaver), Hudson, New York and at Kinkead Contemporary in L.A. This spring he will have a solo exhibition at Mandarin Gallery, also in Los Angeles, California.
His first artist book "Staring" was published in 2002 as a Galerie van Gelder Edition. Another artist book "There" was published in 2004 by Onestar Press in Paris.
Exhibition 'Whether'
17 May - 21 June 2008
In de tentoonstelling 'Echo' (2003 in Galerie van Gelder) van Steel Stillman zorgden groepen lichtgrijze stippen op een rij nog voor een
illusionistische lichtheid in de ruimte. Die lichtheid is nu in zijn tentoonstelling 'Whether' omgeslagen in het tegendeel. Zowel op de
muurschilderingen als op de foto's is sprake van ruimten afdekken. Door middel van geheimzinnige zwarte vlakken wordt steeds een gedeelte
van het beeld aan het oog onttrokken, waarbij de kijker alleen maar kan speculeren en gissen naar het verborgene. De voortdurende herhaling
van de zwarte afdekkingen geven een opvallende geslotenheid en een gedempte atmosfeer in de tentoonstelling.
In de voorruimte is de achterwand in een typisch grijsblauwe Steel Stillmankleur monochroom geschilderd. De muur is feitelijk geschilderd, maar is door zijn rechthoekige vorm ook een beeld dat overeenkomt met de rechthoekige vorm van de portretfoto ernaast met een geometrische zwarte vlak erop, waarachter het gezicht van een ouder persoon verborgen is. Dit levert een onverwachte beeldinterpretatie op. In de grote ruimte is de zelfde persoon op jeugdige leeftijd te zien. Ook daar is zijn gezicht verstopt achter een zwart vierkant, zoals op de foto's waar delen van interieurs door zwarte vlakken onzichtbaar zijn gemaakt. Het consequent repeteren van de zwarte vlakken in elk werk veroorzaken een serieus en ongebruikelijk spel van tijd en ruimte.
Steel Stillman nam recentelijk deel aan 'History, Use & Borrowed Landscape' in John Davis Gallery, Hudson, New York (curated by Nancy Shaver) en in 'Painted Faces', Kinkead Contemporary in L.A. Volgende maand zal hij zijn eerste solo-tentoonstelling hebben in Mandarin Gallery, ook in Los Angeles, California.
press release in English
In Steel Stillman's 2003 exhibition 'Echo' at Galerie van Gelder wallpaintings of irregular arrays of light grey dots formed abstract planes of illusionistic lightness. This lightness is overturned in his current exhibition 'Whether' in which space - whether it be the virtual space of photographs or the optical space of wallpaintings - is covered up. In the photographs uncanny black shapes occupy the picture plane, leaving the viewer to speculate about what lies behind their surfaces. In the more abstract wallpaintings a strong black center sits on top of concentric bands. This central shape introduces an optical confusion in which the viewer is both drawn into a black hole and pursued by a dark surface that appears to move outward into the gallery space.
In the gallery's front room the entire rear wall is painted a monochrome greyish blue, an ambiguous color characteristic of Stillman's work. Adjacent to it hangs a portrait photograph of a man whose face is covered by a black square. The relations between these rectangular forms - wall, photograph, mask - generate unexpected associations. In the main gallery the same man appears again, in a photograph from his youth, and again his face is obscured. On the opposite wall a group of photographs of interiors are partially covered by irregular but suggestive shapes. Considered as a whole, and in relation to the wallpaintings, these persistent black planes provoke an unusual interrogation of time and space.
Recently Steel Stillman participated in 'History, Use & Borrowed Landscape' at John Davis Gallery, Hudson, New York (curated by Nancy Shaver) and in 'Painted Faces' at Kinkead Contemporary in L.A. In June 2008 he will have his first solo exhibition at Mandarin Gallery, also in Los Angeles, California.
In de voorruimte is de achterwand in een typisch grijsblauwe Steel Stillmankleur monochroom geschilderd. De muur is feitelijk geschilderd, maar is door zijn rechthoekige vorm ook een beeld dat overeenkomt met de rechthoekige vorm van de portretfoto ernaast met een geometrische zwarte vlak erop, waarachter het gezicht van een ouder persoon verborgen is. Dit levert een onverwachte beeldinterpretatie op. In de grote ruimte is de zelfde persoon op jeugdige leeftijd te zien. Ook daar is zijn gezicht verstopt achter een zwart vierkant, zoals op de foto's waar delen van interieurs door zwarte vlakken onzichtbaar zijn gemaakt. Het consequent repeteren van de zwarte vlakken in elk werk veroorzaken een serieus en ongebruikelijk spel van tijd en ruimte.
Steel Stillman nam recentelijk deel aan 'History, Use & Borrowed Landscape' in John Davis Gallery, Hudson, New York (curated by Nancy Shaver) en in 'Painted Faces', Kinkead Contemporary in L.A. Volgende maand zal hij zijn eerste solo-tentoonstelling hebben in Mandarin Gallery, ook in Los Angeles, California.
press release in English
In Steel Stillman's 2003 exhibition 'Echo' at Galerie van Gelder wallpaintings of irregular arrays of light grey dots formed abstract planes of illusionistic lightness. This lightness is overturned in his current exhibition 'Whether' in which space - whether it be the virtual space of photographs or the optical space of wallpaintings - is covered up. In the photographs uncanny black shapes occupy the picture plane, leaving the viewer to speculate about what lies behind their surfaces. In the more abstract wallpaintings a strong black center sits on top of concentric bands. This central shape introduces an optical confusion in which the viewer is both drawn into a black hole and pursued by a dark surface that appears to move outward into the gallery space.
In the gallery's front room the entire rear wall is painted a monochrome greyish blue, an ambiguous color characteristic of Stillman's work. Adjacent to it hangs a portrait photograph of a man whose face is covered by a black square. The relations between these rectangular forms - wall, photograph, mask - generate unexpected associations. In the main gallery the same man appears again, in a photograph from his youth, and again his face is obscured. On the opposite wall a group of photographs of interiors are partially covered by irregular but suggestive shapes. Considered as a whole, and in relation to the wallpaintings, these persistent black planes provoke an unusual interrogation of time and space.
Recently Steel Stillman participated in 'History, Use & Borrowed Landscape' at John Davis Gallery, Hudson, New York (curated by Nancy Shaver) and in 'Painted Faces' at Kinkead Contemporary in L.A. In June 2008 he will have his first solo exhibition at Mandarin Gallery, also in Los Angeles, California.
