|
Chicago, IL: The unjust categorizations of a xenophobic society,
omnipresent chaos, and the extinction of beauty and humanity on
individual and collective levels are just few calamities of the 21st
century which occupy artist Von Kommanivanh. His intention to
promote an active awareness of contemporary issues is mirrored in
the paintings and found-object installations included in his solo
exhibition, You Are Ugly, which opens January 30, 5—8 pm at
Walsh Gallery. The artist will be present at the opening reception.
The raw elements of Von Kommanivanh’s earlier paintings and
drawings have been integrated into this new body of work. A
stunning palette of intense colors is paired with graffiti-inspired
animal and human figures in the painting All Hoods. This
large-scale canvas is a critique of the ugly socio-political reality
and increasing material and moral poverty in contemporary
American society. Similarly, the suspended installation Un Man
Airplane addresses issues of power on one side, misery and
powerlessness on the other. As Von Kommanivanh says, “I’m
always striving for balance while I explore the forces of good and
evil, yin and yang. I’d like to stimulate the viewer’s frame of mind.
I want to create a reality in which the viewer can live in a point of
time where being poor does not equal irrelevance.”
Von Kommanivanh is one of those exceptional artists who dares to
transcend the world of the establishment, to go beyond what is
said in the media and to think outside the boundaries of
permissible thought. His painting W unquestionably and
audaciously describes a person who was believed to be the best to
run the world’s most powerful country. Symbols of hate, horror,
death, and false angelic benevolence are adorning and
surrounding the figure that menacingly gestures on the blood-red
background. The painting Obama, with its serenity rendered on a
blue background, stands as an antithesis to the intensity of W. The
eyes of the subject evoke present-day desolation, but also hope
and the chance to change the status quo in the near future.
Von Kommanivanh’s personal life journey is poetically
incorporated in his paintings. His cartoon-like imagery sparks the
viewer’s imagination and contemplation of our emotional and
vulnerable side. His embrace of tattoo and graffiti art has allowed
him the freedom to express emotions through these media while
preserving the humor in portraying people and situations.
Laos-native, Chicago based Von Kommanivanh is a self-taught artist
whose work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary
Art and Walsh Gallery in Chicago (USA), and has been the
curator’s pick at the Shanghai Contemporary 2008 (China). This is
Von Kommanivanh’s second individual exhibition at Walsh Gallery.
Opening Reception: January 30, 5-8pm
|
