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April 27, 2006- May 27, 2006
Alain Bonder
511 Gallery
529 W 20th St Alain Bonder Keep Away (2006) |
Alain Bonder’s paintings are comprised of recurring images ranging from cars and houses to a matador and his bull. These figures are at times boldly outlined and filled in with a rich black, in contrast to those softly outlined and delicately detailed as if only a remnant of what was once there. At times we see only a segment of an animal’s body or a matador’s legs. Figures do not always have an obvious correlation with one another, leaving the compositions open to interpretation. Bonder explains, “By leaving the work so vague I try to make people feel the work more like a piece of jazz [rather] than reading it like an illustration that says something specific.” Thanks to this improvisatory quality, the works gain meaning when seen together.
Bonder uses a black and white color scheme in most of his paintings, with an occasional burst of red in a woman’s bikini or a pair of hearts hovering above two vehicles. The compositions are decidedly minimalist as the artist explores different media, mixing oil, acrylic, and charcoal. The main themes of his work – conveyed in the medium, subjects, and overall composition – include power struggles, contrasts, and the loss of human touch.
A series of six paintings titled Insomnie depicts a sleeping female figure. Among the different compositions, the figure’s position changes, suggesting a state of restlessness. Above each figure is a tangle of wire representing her complex thoughts. At the top of each painting is a recurring image of a bull shown in segments, perhaps “life’s answers.” The series is a comment on the daily worries and anxieties that keep us up at night and our constant pursuit for some kind of truth in our complex lives.
Alain Bonder was educated at Dawson College in Montreal for Illustration and Design. He was voted “Ottawa Artist of the Year” in 2004, and is represented in Canada by Galerie Orange in Montreal. This is the artist’s first solo exhibition in New York.
Books and DVDs related to artists in this show
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