 Realism of the Heart, 2005 (Detail) Papercut, embroidered cotton, framed 140 x 104 cms / 55 x 41 ins Christian Flamm Realism of the Heart Alison Jacques Gallery is pleased to announce "Realism of the Heart", a solo show of new work by Berlin Artist Christian Flamm. Across two floors of the Gallery Flamm will present an installation that combines sculptures and mixed media elements with a collection of fourteen new images that mix paper cut-outs and intricate embroidery. Christian Flamm achieved prominence with his large format, boldly coloured cut-out silhouettes depicting loan figures or groups of people, interiors and abstract forms. Adopting a reflective and diverse approach Flamm creates installations that act as a stage for his imagery, using sculptures and props to frame his paper cut-outs. While earlier works were mostly centred on ciphers of social radicalism, like broken mirrors or gestures of general revolt, Flamm's more recent installations and motifs increasingly avoid such obvious readings. New works encode their contents within fairytales and fantasy and follow more obscure thoughts. Using hand picked references, Flamm rejects universalism and immediate comprehensibility and chooses instead to create installations from the imagination. In this way Flamm documents an emotional quality in his work. Christian Flamm will present a series of hand made felt sculptures within the purple-walled painted space of Alison Jacques Gallery, concealed behind a black curtain hung across the large front window. A limerick will be inscribed in white across the window. In a physical manifestation of a particular paper cut-out the gallery cat will be granted access to the exhibition for its duration, hinting that the images have a prior concrete reality. On entering the backspace of the gallery the viewer will be presented with a densely hung group of paper cut-out silhouettes. Mounted for the first time in delicate embroidery the boundary between the edge of the image and the frame is eroded. A shift in light across the gallery space from dark to twilight echoes the play of light and shadow in these high contrast paper-cuts. The suggestive ambiguity of these images, which are minimalist to a certain degree and unconcerned with superfluous details such as backgrounds for example, prompt the viewer to explore their own desires and fantasies. In the whitewashed space of the upper gallery a further noticeable change in light will occur as the density of colour and dimmed lighting vanishes. In this installation an ink drawing will appear placed near two violet carpets. With his characteristically light touch, here and throughout the exhibition Flamm unites a profound interest in content with an elegant, though consciously anti-glamorous form of representation. Christian Flamm was born in Stuttgart (1974) and lives and works in Berlin. Recent solo shows include "Der Mond in den Antennen" at Galerie Neu, Berlin (2005). Group exhibitions include "The Future As A Silver Lining", Migros Museum, Zurich (2004) and "Happy Days Are Here Again", David Zwirner Gallery, New York (2004). A monograph on Christian Flamm was recently published by Galerie Neu, Berlin (2005). Exhibition: 29 April - 28 May 2005 Gallery hours: Tue-Sat 10 am - 6 pm Alison Jacques Gallery 4 Clifford Street GB-London W1X 1RB Telephone +44 020 7287 7675 Fax +44 020 7287 7674 Email info@alisonjacquesgallery.com www.alisonjacquesgallery.com |
 |