One painting that I was extremely drawn to but didn’t ultimately select was Adrian Ghenie’s “Nickelodeon”. I found the paint quality to be the most intriguing element in the piece. Some parts of the composition are left undeveloped and empty while the faces of the figures are immensely layered with paint, allowing the artist to be able to smear, wipe, and scrape the surface. The way Ghenie paints somehow combines extreme realism with a very destructive kind of abstraction. There are two figures on the left of the canvas where the paint is wiped and brushed away, creating the feeling of time passing or that the figures are about to vaporize. The man in the foreground’s face is a ghastly red and his face appears to be literally melting and dripping to the floor.
This painting is a feast of texture. Overlaid on top of the figures are streaks of color either blurred or harshly applied. The wood paneling creates a very deceptive space that confuses foreground and background that seems to be crumbling on the edges.
There is something extremely ominous and terrifying about this piece. The way the wooden slats of the floor lead back into the mass of people all standing in confusion and despair. The way the figures stand reminds me of Rodin’s “The Burghers of Calais”, especially the man on the far right, where the figures all await their executions and we enter into each person’s personal drama and mindset. Each individual seems to be going through a psychological transformation or metamorphosis where their inner feelings are overtaking them in a physical way. Everything, including the floors and walls seem to be deconstructing and falling apart. As viewers, we hold on to the recognizable and human aspects while the rest seems to break down and decompose into literal paint.
We decided not to choose this painting because we didn’t think it would bring anything new to the gallery’s collection. Ghenie’s main reference points were Bacon and Rothko and as visually compelling as this painting is, we thought it was more important to find a voice that is not already represented in the gallery’s collection, rather than continue a story that we all know very well.
In your post, you state that “this painting is a feast of texture.” I could not agree more! The paint is so tactile, even through the computer screen. I mistook this painting as a Bacon, and I am very intrigued by the similarity in their canvases.
I am interested to hear more about the piece that you plan to pitch!
I’m transfixed looking at those faces! These people seem to be in the presence of some force. The title might refer to a jukebox producing some wicked music or it may signal that the space they’re in is some sort of theater. Because what they’re looking at exists beyond the frame, it only adds to the suspense. Even though you didn’t select this one, still a great find!