Bernard Frize. Northern Lights, Waterfalls and Oceans

Bernard Frize, born in Saint-Mandé near Paris in 1954, created the paintings for this exhibition at his studios in Paris and Berlin. His work has rarely been shown in Italy until now; this is the first exhibition by this internationally renowned artist in Florence. 

Frize’s paintings continually surprise the viewer with their new modes of presentation. Beyond the allure and beauty of his use of colour, the conceptual foundations of the works resonate powerfully. Behind the veil of the image compositions, which resemble the incredible lightness and luminescence of polar light, reigns the clarity of planned structure – just as the gentle cascades of a waterfall result from the stone structure at the edge of a pool.

For this exhibition, the artist presents his latest works, which resemble woven fabrics of fine bright threads. Delicate, shimmering, silken surfaces are formed from parallel vertical and perpendicular brush strokes to create a quadratic grids of iridescent colour. The colour seems to flow onto the canvas, issuing from several brushes simultaneously. It is almost impossible to tell whether the denser application of colour represents the start or the end of each stroke. The vertical brush strokes produce the image of a curtain gently vibrating before the eyes of the viewer; In the case of the images that are woven through orthogonally, the veil appears to become denser and more substantial.

Opening: January 14 from 06.30pm
 

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