Michael Raedecker
23 Feb - 05 Apr 2012
MICHAEL RAEDECKER
volume
23 February – 5 April, 2012
Hauser & Wirth is delighted to present an exhibition of new works by Michael Raedecker in the North Gallery of Savile Row. Best known for his subtle and unsettling, enigmatic works combining muted tones of paint and embroidery, Raedecker’s paintings explore and push the boundaries of his medium. He goes beyond conventional methods of representing formal elements such as texture and perspective. Through his layering of thread, paint and small, yet aggressive punctures to his canvas, Raedecker imparts an unexpected physicality to his two-dimensional works.
In his paintings, Raedecker depicts abstracted scenes of suburban architecture and everyday domestic life. However, instead of using a brush to paint his subject matter, he uses a needle to painstakingly delineate every scene with stitched threads. In Raedecker’s new paintings created especially for his exhibition with Hauser & Wirth, he further explores the combination of the art of painting with the craft of embroidery by stitching his painted canvases together. For instance, in one work Raedecker presents a row of bungalows stitched into a large canvas. The canvas is then cut into vertical rectangular strips, rearranged and stitched back together. By literally going through the canvas and deleting fragments, these cuts act as an editing process, which further disorientates what began as an already disconcerting scene of suburban life.
Raedecker uses silver paint and thread for the first time in his new paintings. The inclusion of this non-colour takes his overtly grey palette in a previously unexplored direction. Initially, these paintings appear to possess a cold exterior, devoid of emotion; however, on closer inspection, the silver brings to life the painting’s hidden details. For Raedecker, silver possesses connotations of modernism and technology, which sit uneasily with the craft and traditional elements at the root of his practice.
Raedecker’s subject matter ranges from urban settings and wedding cakes to chandeliers and curtains – items recognisable to every viewer. Despite the familiarity of their subject matter, the paintings do not refer to a traditional theme or genre, but rather their multiple layers of meaning elude a conclusive reading.
volume
23 February – 5 April, 2012
Hauser & Wirth is delighted to present an exhibition of new works by Michael Raedecker in the North Gallery of Savile Row. Best known for his subtle and unsettling, enigmatic works combining muted tones of paint and embroidery, Raedecker’s paintings explore and push the boundaries of his medium. He goes beyond conventional methods of representing formal elements such as texture and perspective. Through his layering of thread, paint and small, yet aggressive punctures to his canvas, Raedecker imparts an unexpected physicality to his two-dimensional works.
In his paintings, Raedecker depicts abstracted scenes of suburban architecture and everyday domestic life. However, instead of using a brush to paint his subject matter, he uses a needle to painstakingly delineate every scene with stitched threads. In Raedecker’s new paintings created especially for his exhibition with Hauser & Wirth, he further explores the combination of the art of painting with the craft of embroidery by stitching his painted canvases together. For instance, in one work Raedecker presents a row of bungalows stitched into a large canvas. The canvas is then cut into vertical rectangular strips, rearranged and stitched back together. By literally going through the canvas and deleting fragments, these cuts act as an editing process, which further disorientates what began as an already disconcerting scene of suburban life.
Raedecker uses silver paint and thread for the first time in his new paintings. The inclusion of this non-colour takes his overtly grey palette in a previously unexplored direction. Initially, these paintings appear to possess a cold exterior, devoid of emotion; however, on closer inspection, the silver brings to life the painting’s hidden details. For Raedecker, silver possesses connotations of modernism and technology, which sit uneasily with the craft and traditional elements at the root of his practice.
Raedecker’s subject matter ranges from urban settings and wedding cakes to chandeliers and curtains – items recognisable to every viewer. Despite the familiarity of their subject matter, the paintings do not refer to a traditional theme or genre, but rather their multiple layers of meaning elude a conclusive reading.