ART-PRESENTATION: Lucas Arruda and Ron Nagle
The exhibitions “Deserto-Modelo” by Lucas Arruda and “Euphoric Recall“ by Ron Nagle mark the beginning of the program put together by the new Fridericianum director Moritz Wesseler. What Lucas Arruda and Ron Nagle have in common is a passionate and even obsessive devotion to their chosen themes and areas of work, which accounts for the singularity of the art they produce.
By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Fridericianum Archive
“Deserto-Modelo”: Lucas Arruda was born in Sao Paulo in 1983, his work comprises paintings, prints, light installations, slide projections and films. It reflects his intensive, dedicated examination of a wide spectrum of subjects, ranging from the conceptual framework of the genre that is painting to the existential conditions of life itself. A particular feature of Arrudaís praxis is his portrayal of landscapes and seascapes, although his work never references specific locations. On the contrary, he is concerned with capturing those imaginary places evoked by thoughts of landscapes and seascapes, and with looking into the light conditions, atmospheres and emotions connected with them. However, many of his works are characterized by such a degree of abstraction that the reference to a landscape is only suggested by the horizon lines that are present to varying extents. Independent of the degree of their legibility, his visual formulations give rise to a moment of deceleration and concentration, which, in these increasingly fast-paced times we live in, takes us by surprise and, with its insistent yet peaceful power, raises not least the question as to which rhythms life follows in this globalized world. “Euphoric Recall”: is the first solo show in Germany by Ron Nagle. For more than six decades now, Ron Nagle has been producing works characterized by the fact that they manifest a maximum height of 20 cm. Despite their limited heights, these works, made among other things of ceramics, plastics, glazing agents and car paint, boast a presence and an effect which could hardly be more impressive. This accounts for the unique status of Nagleís work within the sculpture genre and results from his works interplay of unusual shapes, diverse colors and tactile surfaces. Accordingly, in his objects, shapes with an organic feel to them meet architectural elements, brightly gleaming colors are confronted with unobtrusive, restrained hues and rough, porous surfaces contrasted with high-gloss ones. His work is not only uncommonly fresh, soulful and sophisticated; it is also mysterious and sometimes surreal. Nagle moreover provides his work with additional levels of meaning by furnishing it with elaborate titles which are usually characterized by a great propensity for wordplay and humor.
Info: Fridericianum, Friedrichsplatz 18, Kassel, Duration: 6/6-9/8/19, Days & Hours: Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00, https://fridericianum.org
