Last week opened «O Gravity» a new joint exhibition featuring the work of Alessandro Battisti aka Etnik and Gilbert1 at Orlinda Lavergne gallery in Mulhouse, France.
Coming from a graffiti background and having devoted himself to calligraphy and typography for a long time, Gilbert1 is one few artists that have managed the transition from the street to gallery working in a variety of media and developing a unique and genuine style. Not only influenced by the work of Mathieu, Picasso, Miró and Tapies among others, Gilbert1 is also inspired by the places he visits, making much of his work site-specific. His body of work includes paintings, prints, drawings, murals, videos and installations often made of reclaimed material and located in the abandoned areas.
Etnik on the other hand focuses on an interesting mix of floating architectonic structures, graffiti and illustration expressing a sense for balance and composition that has become characteristic of his work. Making use of different and juxtaposed perspectives, imaginary structures and abstracted urban areas become disintegrated just to be reassembled again in ETNIK’s own particular and metaphysical way.
Their characteristic aesthetics can be linked to classic movements like Deconstruction and Italian futurism, and have often been associated with new directions in art like the so-called Graffuturism movement blurring the lines between urban and fine art.
From the press release:
“Apart from all predefined borders and antithesis of any academicism, the graffuturism lets artists total freedom, with the aim to bring graffiti into a new dimension. But it specifically the aesthetic link with the Italian futurism movement and his criticism of modern society, that this exhibition «O Gravity» is trying to suggest.
Etnik’s 3D representations of urban cities, as metaphysical landscapes, symbolise a critical interpretation of our urban spaces and their special aesthetic. Gilbert1, with his chaotic universe in appearance, raw and authentic, dynamic and powerful, he researchs movement and deformation of space, in order to symbolise a form of emergency.”
«O Gravity» runs until July 23, 2016 Galerie Orlinda LAVERGNE located on 33 rue des Trois Rois, 68100 MULHOUS, France.
More about:
Etnik www.etnikproduction.com
GIlbert1 www.gilbert1.org
Orlinda Lavergne www.orlinda-lavergne-gallery.com
Images courtesy of the gallery
Author: Fran
Founder and editor of Urbanite. Street Art lover who after the finishing her MA thesis on the Mexican and Norwegian muralist movement in the 1920-50s, developed a fascination for street art and graffiti that eventually led to collaborations with different art blogs, including the creation of this one.
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