Tallahassie Bare
Knud Odde exhibits at DCA Gallery
In April DCA Gallery's exhibition will feature Danish artist Knud
Odde's latest paintings. Knud Odde is a self-taught exceptional
musician and painter. He never went to art school, but absorbed
on his own the ideas of the creative art scene of Copenhagen in
the late 70's - early 80's, when punk rock, poetry and painting
fused together. The poet Søren Ulrik Thomsen has referred
to this melting pot of art, music and literature as "the blue
room" - a time full of energy and melancholy. As a bassplayer
and songwriter, Knud Odde took part in the forming of "Sods",
an experimental rock band, which later changed its name to "Sort
Sol" ("Black Sun") and is now one of the most respected
rock bands in Denmark.
During the 80's Odde exhibited his works with many artists of
his generation. This group became known as the "Young Wild"
painters. The movement consisted of artists with individual ideas,
who shared a need for creating a new and dynamic figurative language
that accepted no limitations in use of materials and stylistic
elements. It reacted against the way museums and galleries staged
art, and ignored the ruling paradigms of minimalism and conceptual
art in its attempt to reawaken the art of painting. The members
of the movement did not believe in the creation of "unique
masterpieces". They rather worked from the premise that artwork
is only the continuous testing of artistic expressions in a series
of free creative displays.
Gloria Swanson and Stroheim 1992 Odde insists on painting human
faces and figures of either fictional or historical background
in his own neo-expressionistic manner. His first breakthrough
came about with his historical portraits of Erich von Stroheim,
the excentric filmdirector and actor of the 1920's Hollywood,
who became famous for his depiction of decadence and European
aristocracy on the silver screen. By painting icons of the Stroheim
myth, Odde was able to confront the viewer with his own fascination
of Stroheim's self-staging.
Although Knud Oddes historical paintings hardly can be called
idealistic in a classical or romantic sense, they still reflect
hero worship and an interest in cult figures or literary characters,
who are no less real than the Greek and Roman gods and heroes
were to classicistic painters. By introducing fictive characters
or cult figures from the world of film, music or literature, Odde
is pointing to names and references, which can be decoded by the
modern viewer familiar with the artist's heroes of popular culture.
Knud Odde's figures are painted with aggressive colors, powerful
black outlines and illuminated by a stark yellow lighting, which
only leaves sharp shadows. The strong colors and the melancholic
expressions of the posing icons ensure an immediate effect, not
far from Toulouse-L'Autrec's fin-de-siËcle posters. The faces
appear unreal, like illusions or remains of old dreams. The New
Danish History of Art has interpreted his paintings as "tableaus
from the European culture's midnight show."
From Tallahassie BareThe title of the current exhibition, "Tallahassie
Bare", is inspired by a Florida-based Nudist Organization,
which has been described in a guide book as follows: "The
Tallahassee Bare-Devils know of some wonderful spots: springfed
wilderness rivers for canuding, gin-clear springs for skinnydipping,
and forest trails for nude hiking,- but all are difficult to find
without a guide" (World Beaches and Resorts). This description
may shed some light on the exhibition... take a look for yourself!
"Tallahassie Bare" from April 24 to May 29, at DCA Gallery,
525 West 22nd Street, NYC - please call the gallery for further
information: (212) 255-5511
Paintings from The Danish Golden Age | Dogma Movie | Knud Odde
Exhibits | Ellington's Sacred Concert
Knud Odde. Photo: Kennet Havgaard
Copyright © 1999 Consulate General of Denmark in New York.
All rights reserved.
|
|
 Photo:
Kennet Havgaard
|
