Harm Gerdes: Synthetic Spirits
Gerdes鈥� painting practice is process-based and experimental, a push and pull between spontaneous and methodical approaches which pool together on each canvas. This exhibition exemplifies his experimentation in operations/procedures 鈥� bringing a period of half a year of work together in the gallery space.
His process begins with intuitive hand drawn sketches, which he then digitizes to refine and develop the composition before transferring them back to canvas. The contrast between control and spontaneity is the thread throughout the process. By pouring a fluid acrylic material and tipping the canvas, he allows the mixture to run towards gravity and create textures and compositions out of his ability to plan or control and then switches to using an airbrush which requires focus and direction.
Shifting between instinctive movements and reflexive modes, Gerdes works intuitively, developing his visual plane as he works rather than working toward a predetermined final painting. Drawing from influences such as Hilma af Klint and Giorgio De Chirico, this 鈥榠n-betweenness鈥� in his work opens up a space for mysticism and the uncanny 鈥� considering the spiritual needs within our extended present.
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Gerdes鈥� painting practice is process-based and experimental, a push and pull between spontaneous and methodical approaches which pool together on each canvas. This exhibition exemplifies his experimentation in operations/procedures 鈥� bringing a period of half a year of work together in the gallery space.
His process begins with intuitive hand drawn sketches, which he then digitizes to refine and develop the composition before transferring them back to canvas. The contrast between control and spontaneity is the thread throughout the process. By pouring a fluid acrylic material and tipping the canvas, he allows the mixture to run towards gravity and create textures and compositions out of his ability to plan or control and then switches to using an airbrush which requires focus and direction.
Shifting between instinctive movements and reflexive modes, Gerdes works intuitively, developing his visual plane as he works rather than working toward a predetermined final painting. Drawing from influences such as Hilma af Klint and Giorgio De Chirico, this 鈥榠n-betweenness鈥� in his work opens up a space for mysticism and the uncanny 鈥� considering the spiritual needs within our extended present.
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