On view unitl October 6.
Talisman brings the work of young artist Thomas Thoelen to Gallery Hioco Delany in a debut exhibition. Thoelen (2000, Antwerp) graduated as a fine arts painter from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Referring to his immediate surroundings, Thoelen seeks out the irony of everyday life. The presentation exclusively features new work on canvas.
In fiction, the talisman is often an ordinary object with magical properties. In real life, Thomas Thoelen finds that meaning not too far off. But the talisman, apart from magic, is more than a worthless object to which someone suddenly attaches value. For the artist, talisman is a verb where the ‘magical power’ of the object lies in the revaluation of the everyday. On canvas, this translates into collages of objects carefully positioned on surfaces with domestic rooms as recurring backdrops.
Thoelen directly draws the subjects of Talisman from his surroundings and memories: the plastic green watering can from his studio, for instance, a mug with his name on it bought as a souvenir from abroad, or the playful wallpaper with leisure boats and aircrafts from Thoelen’s childhood room. Although personal, the often stereotypical Flemish subjects are recognisable to many. Thoelen hopes to share the nostalgic value of objects like the green watering can, the mug or the wallpaper with the viewer. He is, however, also aware of the irony behind the chosen objects. How personal and nostalgic can such a banal object be if it is merely a product of consumerism, and is recognised by so many?
Thoelen also painted several portraits of loved ones for the exhibition, often in a personal context. In these works, too, the personal element becomes a shared good that nostalgically reflects on what has passed. A friend of Thoelen is staged in his parental home, where pencil lines on the wall indicate how the man outgrew his origins.
Each painting by Thoelen is a scene that you, as an outsider, intrude upon as if you were spying on the neighbour's living room with binoculars. Voyeurism is therefore a recurring theme for Thoelen. The artist refers to films such as Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock. The Japanese drama Tokyo Story. by Yasujirō Ozu is also an inspiration for the painter, due to the many minimalist transitions of still lifes in the film. American artist Alice Neel, as well as Philip Guston and Morandi, are important influences for Thoelen, even naming the Belgian expressionist Edgard Tytgat as his mentor.
Talisman straddles the line between observation and reverie. During the painting process, Thoelen deliberately distorts the composition by adding or removing objects. Colour and composition are thus always carefully considered and carry significant emotional value for Thoelen. The artist does not paint arrangements or people from life but from photos that emerge during the documentation process. Each subject Thoelen paints undergoes two interpretations, and so each work becomes an alternative version of reality.
Text by Jens Roothoofd