A couple of weeks ago closed With or Without an interesting collaborative exhibition at Kirk Gallery in Aalborg, Denmark featuring the work of Oliver Vernon and Christian Calabro, their first at the gallery.
The exhibition showcased dynamic collaborative works that draw upon an incredibly varied pool of influences; from abstract expressionism, to post pop surrealism and figurative realism creating a fascinating mix of architecture, landscape and abstractions.
Laying out layer upon layer, they create an impossible amount of dimensions that connect to make a universe that is like a sea of multi-faceted, independent worlds.
Coming from different countries (Vernon: US, Calabro: Switzerland) and having studied different disciplines (Vernon: painting/sculpture, Calabro: graphic design), the two artists converged in a Brooklyn loft with adjacent studios in 2001. With parallel interests in art history stemming from Kurt Schwitters and early Modernist movements, their creative kinship developed over years before the artistic collaborations began in 2010.
Their work plays with the intersection of intuitive gestural mark making and hard edged design elements while mixing a rigid abstract formalist approach with a reverence for the absurd. Their process is spontaneous, seeking to capture a moment free of preconceptions. Tight craftsmanship is as much an ingredient as absolute looseness, giving the artists a freedom to push the boundaries of perceptual norms.
The work presented in their first collaborative show is a testament of the true value of friendship, trust, and the passion for image making. Their collaboration can be viewed as a dialogue between two different sets of thoughts and techniques, merging effortlessly into a unified, universal language. Here are some images of the work presented.
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.
You might also like
