Michael Ajerman - Reclamation Point
2 Mar - 7 Apr 2007
BISCHOFF/WEISS is pleased to present the second solo exhibition by
American artist Michael Ajerman. Reclamation Point brings together a
combination of new paintings executed in oils and watercolour on paper
all firmly rooted in the exploration and retrieval of imagery.
The main Floor of the gallery displays a series of works in watercolour
that focus on the interaction between individuals. Figures are presented
without a detailed background, allowing the viewer to focus solely on
the forms of the figure present. By using recurring sitters to work with
him, Ajerman tries to get the poses to become loose, uninhibited and
carefree. This enables him to focus on expressions, and his approach to
mark making, in a more animated manner.
The inclusion of animals in several works in oils transforms and
emancipates the conventional dynamics of a single figure composition.
What begins as a means for the viewer to study and question the
psychological aspects of the figure and becomes more of an
investigation on how animals can render a person oblivious to normal
conformity. Ajerman's inspiration for these works comes from wide and
varied sources, ranging from French writer Michel Houellebecq's The
Possibility of an Island, Gustave Courbet's The Hunt and DiegoVelasquez
's Philip IV as a Hunter and Infante Felipe Prospero.
The nocturnal works in the lower gallery investigate the experiences
that the darkness has upon our psyche, incorporating both warmth and
confusion. Darkness can have the dual effect of concealment and
exposure. Shadowy figures and dark interiors seem to emerge from the
canvases, details highlighted by thick crimson brushstrokes which
capture brilliantly the dreamy lighting effects, mood and atmosphere
only seen at the cusp of twilight.
Michael Ajerman, born in 1977, completed his MA at the Slade in 2003.
That year he won the British Institute Award from the Royal Academy.
He has shown in the Contemporary Art Society's ARTfutures exhibitions
in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, he had a solo show in Milan, Italy and was
part of a group show entitled Private: Staff Only at the ICA. This
summer he will have works included in the exhibition, Sequence and
Repetition at the Jerwood Space in London, curated by Silia Ka Tung.
He has also been short-listed for the Sainsbury Scholarship in Painting
with the British School in Rome
American artist Michael Ajerman. Reclamation Point brings together a
combination of new paintings executed in oils and watercolour on paper
all firmly rooted in the exploration and retrieval of imagery.
The main Floor of the gallery displays a series of works in watercolour
that focus on the interaction between individuals. Figures are presented
without a detailed background, allowing the viewer to focus solely on
the forms of the figure present. By using recurring sitters to work with
him, Ajerman tries to get the poses to become loose, uninhibited and
carefree. This enables him to focus on expressions, and his approach to
mark making, in a more animated manner.
The inclusion of animals in several works in oils transforms and
emancipates the conventional dynamics of a single figure composition.
What begins as a means for the viewer to study and question the
psychological aspects of the figure and becomes more of an
investigation on how animals can render a person oblivious to normal
conformity. Ajerman's inspiration for these works comes from wide and
varied sources, ranging from French writer Michel Houellebecq's The
Possibility of an Island, Gustave Courbet's The Hunt and DiegoVelasquez
's Philip IV as a Hunter and Infante Felipe Prospero.
The nocturnal works in the lower gallery investigate the experiences
that the darkness has upon our psyche, incorporating both warmth and
confusion. Darkness can have the dual effect of concealment and
exposure. Shadowy figures and dark interiors seem to emerge from the
canvases, details highlighted by thick crimson brushstrokes which
capture brilliantly the dreamy lighting effects, mood and atmosphere
only seen at the cusp of twilight.
Michael Ajerman, born in 1977, completed his MA at the Slade in 2003.
That year he won the British Institute Award from the Royal Academy.
He has shown in the Contemporary Art Society's ARTfutures exhibitions
in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, he had a solo show in Milan, Italy and was
part of a group show entitled Private: Staff Only at the ICA. This
summer he will have works included in the exhibition, Sequence and
Repetition at the Jerwood Space in London, curated by Silia Ka Tung.
He has also been short-listed for the Sainsbury Scholarship in Painting
with the British School in Rome