Thursday 14 August 2014

Layer on the Wall, an exhibition by Simon Halfmeyer at the Briggait, Glasgow

Simon Halfmeyer is currently exhibiting new work in one of the project spaces at The Briggait, Glasgow. The Dusseldorf based artist approaches drawing in an all-encompassing manner. His work traverses two-dimensional and three-dimensional realms, with layers and transparency as important features in his work.


These layers can be seen in the work itself, but also in the way that the work is mounted, just as in this exhibition, the panels were installed over the parallel lines which he has painted onto the wall.


On the opposite wall he had neatly hung three wooden painted blocks. 




This intricate biro drawing had been painted over with some kind of clear high gloss varnish which transformed the painted wooden block into more seductive surface. The visible drips down the sides of the work reveal the making process and emphasise the textural qualities within the work. 





"Simon Halfmeyer’s drawings go beyond traditional boundaries of genre and format. They proliferate up the walls, extend into the room, integrate pictures, become sculptures and venture a step into the third dimension. It is an artificial jungle, a wilderness in the city. Plants and skyscrapers grow up to the ceiling, and street lights seem to disappear into a thicket of tropical foliage. The artist juxtaposes room, dimension and perception. Transparent base materials allow the viewer glimpses of the wall structures and integrate the space behind the drawing. A comprehensive picture archive from his own photographs offers models for the forms.

Simon also collates a picture archive containing cuttings from newspapers and findings, which the artist processes by hand, traces and reduces to outlines prior to scanning. He digitally uses this virtual archive for experiments in collage which, when projected onto the wall, leave an impression of a rampant jungle. The observer will be able to rediscover elements, which in another space, size or colour produce new impressions and effects."

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