André Talborn - 2016
Text: Ellen Suneson
Gestures another word for body language. In that sense, the word describes the movements that people use to reinforce what they say or to communicate without using words. However, in art theory, the term gesture can also be used to explain the content of images. Here the word describes how shapes, colors and details in an image evoke special emotions in the viewer. Historically, artists have wanted to convey different, often conflicting, emotions and messages with their images. The artists in expressionism wanted to depict inner emotional experiences in pictorial form, those in surrealism wanted to capture the unconscious and dreamlike. Minimalism wanted to make art that did not depict anything from external reality at all. Because particular visual elements within the various art directions have been repeated enough times in specific contexts, they have become general gestures that communicate special meanings. This means that it is possible to perceive the meanings of different forms even without in-depth knowledge of art history.
In André Talborn's world of images, he deals with the gestures, rules and meanings of the image in an anarchistic way. Here, a classically painted flower vase can be placed in the middle of an otherwise typically minimalist painting. A tranquil white surface can be broken up by three red lines seemingly painted there in one swift movement with just three brushstrokes. The paintings in the series Superpaintings (2015) balance on the border between image and sculpture. In these, Talborn has combined different shapes and materials so that tension is created on the canvases. This makes the paintings appear three-dimensional while losing their ability to create a direct illusion of reality. The active joining of inconsistent pictorial elements could be read as a mockery of the grand gestures and ideas that have characterized art history. Or as a collage that dilutes the image of all its meanings. But Talborn's artistry conversely shows signs of a great interest in the functions of the image and in the ideas that shaped art history. In his paintings, gestures from different contexts crash onto one and the same surface, thus evoking conflicting emotions that pull the viewer in different directions.
In the painting Taste (2015), the picture surface is divided in the middle by a transverse line. In the lower part of the canvas, white squares placed on a turquoise background create a kind of grid pattern, where black lines in some places follow the outside of the white shapes. The upper part of the canvas is painted with a black base tone that is broken up by quick brushstrokes and splashes of color in gray, blue, pink, green and yellow tones. In the middle of the lower part of the painting is a large watermelon painted in a naïve style. Individually, the gestures in the different parts of the painting are relatively easy to decipher. The pattern in the lower part of the canvas is reminiscent of the geometric shapes of minimalism, the upper part of the emotional expressions of abstract expressionism, and the watermelon of the figurative motifs of naïveté. It is in combination with each other that the content of the painting becomes multifaceted, complex and confused. The placement of the watermelon in the foreground creates a depth in the image that shifts the meanings of the underlying surfaces. The lower part of the image suddenly appears as a table top and its abstract pattern as a decoration on a tablecloth. The upper part of the painting then forms the underlying room where the spontaneous brushstrokes can represent another pattern, those on a wallpaper, or symbolize the movements of the room. At the same time, your options begin to emerge. The geometric shapes of the lower part can be read as a map or as the basis of the well-known computer game Snake where the black lines suddenly take the form of the game's pixelated snakes and dots. The way in which the painting combines pictorial elements from different pictorial traditions makes the visual gestures contradictory and it becomes clear how certain forms are linked to particular feelings or meanings.
The spread of images in the media plays a decisive role in how we see ourselves, others and political or cultural changes. Understanding how visual gestures subtly make us react or feel is therefore not only essential in art theory but is also important to navigating today's fate of images.
Talborn's artistic method is characterized by a strong interest in the complex visual culture in which we live. When he does research for a work, he uses the internet as an equivalent source to the impressions he gets from art exhibitions or books. In front of the computer, he allows the sensations to wash over him and impulsively navigates between different pages, information and images. Then he selects visual details, shapes and colors he is stuck with and allows these to meet on one and the same picture surface. In his artistry, Talborn investigates how humans react to the fierce stream of visual information that shapes today's image culture. The paintings' examination of the functions of the image is a clear example of the important role of art in society at large. Mapping the gestures of images provides important perspectives on the power of visual culture to shape our thoughts, opinions and ideas.
Background
André Talborn (b. 1987) grew up in Växjö. In 2015, he graduated in liberal arts at Umeå University of the Arts. Today he lives and works in Berlin. Talborn's interest in pictures and art was awakened in front of the computer screen in his boyhood room. The small town he grew up in didn't have a big art scene, instead the internet served as a source to access different types of culture. In front of the computer, he was overwhelmed by images and facts, and the opportunity to take part in otherwise inaccessible visual worlds opened up. Talborn works with water- and oil-based paints on canvas. His art reflects a great interest in the digital age and image culture he grew up with.
