 |
|
||
|
|
Between January and June 2001, Brazilian artist James Kudo and German artist Stefani Peter worked together on a unique collaborative project. Each artist took five photographs of scenes from their separate urban surroundings, then traded with each other. Literally between two hemispheres, with Kudo working on one continent and Peter on another, the artists simultaneously produced different paintings from the same set of imagery. Because they wanted to avoid the possibility that their final images might be too similar, Kudo painted each of the ten photographs in the “negative” and Peter in the “positive”. In addition, the original photographs had a ratio of 3:4 and the paintings were square, which caused them to choose slightly different shifts in point of view. Some paintings were centered with the original viewpoint while others had a viewpoint to the left or right. Similarities of style were the most unexpected and fascinating aspect of the project when the two artists compared their works. Both painters emphasized chiaroscuro, the use of light and dark to achieve a heightened illusion of depth, and a minimal use of colour. The works are similarly abstract: they reflect the same degree of references to the original photographs yet are distinctly abstract in nature. And while both artists favoured a slight amount of modeling, the paintings all contain rough patches that resulted from over-printing or scumbling treatments. The paintings,
each twenty-four inches square in format, were first shown in Fürth,
Germany in July, 2001. In the current exhibit at the AION Gallery,
the paintings are shown side by side so viewers can appreciate their
remarkable contrast and resemblance. Brazilian artist James Kudo has exhibited extensively in Japan, Germany, Brazil and New York. Stefani Peter, who has been painting professionally for 20 years, has exhibited in Germany, France, Poland, Russia, England and Brazil. As the co-owner of the AION Gallery, she brings the works together for the first time in Canada. |
|
|
| |
|||
