Bjarne Melgaard
The Glamour Chase
02.05.07 - 16.06.07
Over the past years, drawings and paintings have become increasingly central to Bjarne Melgaard's body of work. In addition, his expressive language has moved towards the poetic and the abstract.
Bjarne Melgaard's aesthetic expression develops and takes new forms concurrently with his new intellectual interests. In relation to working with this exhibition it is eccentric forms of glamour and self staging, that has occupied Bjarne Melgaard. With focus on characters such as the singer Billy MacKenzie from "The Associates" (whose biography by Tom Doyle is the exhibition title) and the actor Paul America, an eccentric, speeded character who was part of the environment surrounding Andy Warhol's "The Factory".
Symbolised by a new alter ego; a little man with a cane and a large head, Bjarne Melgaard literally plays with themes such as identity, self representation and self perception in his works. How the 'I' may speak in several voices or may be several personas at once and how one is able to have several identities, not to mention split personalities. In this exhibition Bjarne Melgaard also explores the 'I' in relation to oneself, ones demons and in relation to surroundings and external influences.
Bjarne Melgaard has over the years created a powerful personal universe - his personal mythology is instantly recognisable to viewers familiar with his production. In the new works is the miniature pig Les Super and the Chihuahua from Melgaard's previous series of works, now present as a faithful, although let down (ophaned/dead) friend.
Bjarne Melgaard is an authentic voice in contemporary expressionistic painting. His idiosyncratic, lyrical and transgressive style is close to Jorn and Munch -in some works even Monet! - as well as other contemporary colleagues such as André Butzer and Jonathan Meese.
The power and the vigour of Bjarne Melgaard's work strikes the viewer and his capacity of turning the exhibition space into an aesthetically inviting atmosphere is without comparison.