Andriu Deplazes: Caravan 1

Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland

The figures populating the works of Andriu Deplazes are elusive. Their anatomy seems familiar, yet they are different from us with their overlong legs, bald heads, and pink-coloured, bright orange to yellowish skin. Rather than representing a common human type, they remain ambiguous, though it is still possible to identify their particular gender with definitive certainty. In their nakedness they sometimes appear repulsive, yet also vulnerable, arousing our sympathy in their gormlessness. Why do Andriu Deplazes’ protagonists move or even unsettle us? Perhaps because they are not that alien to us after all or, indeed, resemble us closely enough for us to be able to identify with them?

 

Deplaze’s figures crave attention. As a result, the landscapes they inhabit sometimes are just a secondary object of attention. They are often characterised by paradox vegetation, for instance, when bright red flowers flush in the midst of a desert (Körper und Hund, 2017) or futuristiclooking plants grow from a terrestrial carpet of flowers into outer space (Untitled [from the Nacht trilogy], 2017). In them, beauty and destruction are always very close to one another, blend into each other, or cause a rupture in the image.

 

Painting, to Andriu Deplazes, is a means of allowing this peculiar universe to come into being. In creating his works, the young artist doesn’t eschew including well-known imagery from the history of art. For who says that the water lily pond is reserved exclusively for Claude Monet (1840 – 1926), or that sunflowers are the preserve of Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890)? Based on well-conceived colour compositions and the combination with his figures, such well-known motifs appear surprisingly fresh and as if made for our age.

 

Andriu Deplazes’ paintings allow a wealth of associations. They provide food for thought, yet deny any consistent narration. By describing the figures as “bodies”, the artist leaves open the question of their definitive identity and challenges viewers to speculate for themselves about their nature. Invariably, the work is meant to also “speak” as painting—based on its colour and texture—without at the same time conveying a clear narrative. While not secondary, the imagery is just one part of Deplazes’ universe. Deplazes’ exhibition in the CARAVAN series at the Aargauer Kunsthaus is the artist’s first institutional solo exhibition.

 

Curator: Bettina Mühlebach