Vassilis H. 's artwork, The Kiss, in his exhibition Must Love Dogs at The Hole’s Bowery Gallery is part of his paintings depicting groups of men and women indulging in scenes of lust and aggression. The painting shows a blonde woman embracing her partner, a dark-haired man. The man is holding a white dog in his arms. The dog and the man french kiss as the woman looks on in disapproval and shock. The three subjects are set against a green, gradient background. The kiss, shows the cognizance of the woman, man and dog being perceived by the viewer much like the rest of the subjects in the other paintings. Vassili’s aims are to exhibit the “pathos and nuance in human relationships,” and to try and explore “how we imagine ourselves in relation to others, and who we become when we pose.” He plays with the idea of being “consumed by our subject-hood.” The paintings are stylized in a way that makes the subjects look inhumane–distorted, exaggerated facial expressions. The absurd poses, actions and interactions between the subjects contribute to the narrative of our obsessions to people-watch, observe and consume each other. Despite there being numerous displays of affection and intimacy, the paintings seem to lack genuine passion as the subjects perform and pose for us. The paintings successfully convey the falsehood and inability to live any present moment without letting the perception of others and the value we give to being perceived become disproportionate.
-Andrea S
I like the comment about how we consume one another, I also think something interesting to elaborate on is how heterosexual dating dynamics are commented on and are at play in this body of work. Especially with the piece you described.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment of that while the subject matter of the work is able to display intimacy and affection, the paintings themselves appear to lack a passion, almost as if the subjects are performing for us. I think it's interesting to note that the wall color varied depending on the room, and made them stick out more, feeling as if it was an attempt to bring more authenticity to the figures and their performance.
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