MILES AHEAD.
Known for his large, elaborately cast ceramic sculptures, which refer to the design vocabulary of modernistic interior architecture, Cristian Andersen (*1974) surprises with his new works Miles Ahead (2018) in his presentation at BolteLang. They transform the material concrete into an image carrier for painterly bizarre aesthetically sophisticated compositions. The computer generated, digital images are printed onto cast, sheathed concrete panels with a UV printing method. Using the artistic means of Photoshop, deliberately amateurish figurations are joined with pre-existing, high resolution, photographic elements, and mistakes purposely included. During the casting process circular notches are produced and subsequently filled with colourfully air-brushed acrylic glass. This creates exciting vistas. Cristian Andersen manages to confuse the viewer’s perception. The disassociation is emphasised by the depth effect of individual motifs with accentuated shadows and the optical illusion referring to pop aesthetics such as the floating coloured sequins. The experience of the ‘digital’ surface is remindful of the omnipresent screen aesthetic of our everyday world and accentuates a contemporary image vocabulary. The sculpture Puffs of smoke in the room (2017) reminiscent of clichés of modernist interior architecture completes the presentation. The piece made of concrete, metal elements and upholstery belts reminds of items of furniture and reference furnishings of a defined architectural era.
Complex and elaborate work processes underlie Cristian Andersen’s pieces, a play with material and contrasts, which sways between rough concrete and smooth surface.
Nadia Veronese, Curator Kunstmuseum St.Gallen
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