Pierre Vermeulen
In his debut solo exhibition with SMAC Gallery, Pierre Vermeulen presents a series of prints and paintings on gold-leaf imitate. Each work, like the vibration of a Tibetan singing bowl, suggests a moment of meditation. Vermeulen鈥檚 work evidences his meticulous exploration of presence and impermanence. His practice operates within a conceptual framework that questions the importance of the artist as a 鈥榮ource鈥� of art, as well as the medium as an active agent in making. Vermeulen鈥檚 medium of choice is his own sweat and hair, his method of application is both imprinting and painting.
His use of this unorthodox material offers viewers a glimpse into his deep regard for what he calls 鈥渁 cycle of growth and loss 鈥� and through this revolution 鈥� the acceptance of what is imperfect鈥�. From Andy Warhol鈥檚 Oxidation series (1977) and Andres Serrano鈥檚 Piss Christ (1987) to Marc Quinn鈥檚 Self (1991 鈥� present), Vermeulen鈥檚 use of his own body and it鈥檚 residue situate his practice among numerous artists and works in which the body is both the subject matter as well as the tool for image-construction.
Vermeulen takes direction from the materiality of his chosen mediums, his practice revolves around the physical materials and performative process. The final pieces displayed are a by-product of an interaction between the body and its residue
South African artist, Penny Siopis鈥� experiments with unusual painting materials, are also source of inspiration for Vermeulen. 鈥淭he unorthodox offers an opportunity to open one鈥檚 self to the 鈥榣ife鈥� of non-human matter,鈥� says Siopis, 鈥渁nd to find in this openness an intimate model for relationality in the bigger political picture of the self, of the social body, of ecology; a model that is full of risk and uncertainty.鈥�
Vermeulen takes on this risk and uncertainty by using his body and it鈥檚 gestural abilities as the central component in the creation of his Sweat Print works. He manipulates the oxidisation process of the gold-leaf imitate by creating impressions of his sweating body, curled on the surface, in vulnerable positions. In an chemical reaction, Vermeulen鈥檚 sweat essentially oxidises the gold-leaf imitate, a process that is intuitively and patiently timed by the artist. Once he is satisfied with the visual result of his chemical operation, the resplendent surface is then neutralised to halt the oxidisation process. The result is a number of works that are not only rich in delicate gestural marks, but also display a large range of subtly rendered colour. This process serves as a form of meditation on the base desire of the egoic self, which seeks to leave a tangible mark of itself behind.
Using the idea of gold, rather than gold itself, Vermeulen touches on an expansive history of the material in visual art, culture, and contemporary notions of consumer values. It has been utilised in many forms of application, finding notable favour in the eyes of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. The use of this precious metal peaked the interest of many Modern artists and continues to appear such as in the work of Louise Bourgeois and Yves Klein, whose gold body-prints on canvas were considered some of the most iconic works of his career. As Vermeulen is keenly aware, it is not without a conscious irony that this element is used in contemporary art. This new body of work makes clear reference to the nature of wealth and ownership.
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In his debut solo exhibition with SMAC Gallery, Pierre Vermeulen presents a series of prints and paintings on gold-leaf imitate. Each work, like the vibration of a Tibetan singing bowl, suggests a moment of meditation. Vermeulen鈥檚 work evidences his meticulous exploration of presence and impermanence. His practice operates within a conceptual framework that questions the importance of the artist as a 鈥榮ource鈥� of art, as well as the medium as an active agent in making. Vermeulen鈥檚 medium of choice is his own sweat and hair, his method of application is both imprinting and painting.
His use of this unorthodox material offers viewers a glimpse into his deep regard for what he calls 鈥渁 cycle of growth and loss 鈥� and through this revolution 鈥� the acceptance of what is imperfect鈥�. From Andy Warhol鈥檚 Oxidation series (1977) and Andres Serrano鈥檚 Piss Christ (1987) to Marc Quinn鈥檚 Self (1991 鈥� present), Vermeulen鈥檚 use of his own body and it鈥檚 residue situate his practice among numerous artists and works in which the body is both the subject matter as well as the tool for image-construction.
Vermeulen takes direction from the materiality of his chosen mediums, his practice revolves around the physical materials and performative process. The final pieces displayed are a by-product of an interaction between the body and its residue
South African artist, Penny Siopis鈥� experiments with unusual painting materials, are also source of inspiration for Vermeulen. 鈥淭he unorthodox offers an opportunity to open one鈥檚 self to the 鈥榣ife鈥� of non-human matter,鈥� says Siopis, 鈥渁nd to find in this openness an intimate model for relationality in the bigger political picture of the self, of the social body, of ecology; a model that is full of risk and uncertainty.鈥�
Vermeulen takes on this risk and uncertainty by using his body and it鈥檚 gestural abilities as the central component in the creation of his Sweat Print works. He manipulates the oxidisation process of the gold-leaf imitate by creating impressions of his sweating body, curled on the surface, in vulnerable positions. In an chemical reaction, Vermeulen鈥檚 sweat essentially oxidises the gold-leaf imitate, a process that is intuitively and patiently timed by the artist. Once he is satisfied with the visual result of his chemical operation, the resplendent surface is then neutralised to halt the oxidisation process. The result is a number of works that are not only rich in delicate gestural marks, but also display a large range of subtly rendered colour. This process serves as a form of meditation on the base desire of the egoic self, which seeks to leave a tangible mark of itself behind.
Using the idea of gold, rather than gold itself, Vermeulen touches on an expansive history of the material in visual art, culture, and contemporary notions of consumer values. It has been utilised in many forms of application, finding notable favour in the eyes of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. The use of this precious metal peaked the interest of many Modern artists and continues to appear such as in the work of Louise Bourgeois and Yves Klein, whose gold body-prints on canvas were considered some of the most iconic works of his career. As Vermeulen is keenly aware, it is not without a conscious irony that this element is used in contemporary art. This new body of work makes clear reference to the nature of wealth and ownership.
Artists on show
