ALL EXHIBITIONS

Kristian Devantier

Ud af ærmet

12.11 – 11.12.2010

Various stories and incidents are told in a simplified, almost stylised manner. Figures and objects, people and things are placed next to each other in highly contrasting colours. The stylisation is taken just to the point that the story is still recognizable.   Kristian Devantier deals with subjects revolving around inter-personal relationships such as love, sexuality but also the human being as a thinking and feeling being with the potential to act. The impersonal physiognomy in the drawings invites the viewer to place himself into the scenes and to participate in the portrayed actions. Kristian Devantier’s works consists of a line of elements which make them easily recognizable but at the same time rouses your interest. There is a constant insistence upon a anti-ekspressive mode of expression, that is closely connected to children’s drawings and expressions from popular culture. One could say that Devantier re-instrumentalizes the effects of pop art and functions of reality with the difference that instead of engaging in the lack of content of pop art he rather fill his paintings with narrative. If one was to gaze upon Devantier’s production certain themes appear. Certain benchmarks or motive loops that he applies again and again. You could call them a lot of things although relationships, mythological stories, and the man in the crowd seems to be possible suggestions. Even though they as categories are far from exhaustive, they do contain a large amount of his work.  Kristian Devantier has recently published Best of Kristian Devantier.  The book contains over 100 pictures of Devantier’s colorfull paintings and drawings divided into chapters according to exhibitions. Furthermore  Pablo Llambias has contributed with small quirky text such as ”It isn’t something that is handed to you on a plate. It’s something you have to guess on your own.” The texts function as a guide to the works as well as an unfolding of them. The book is begun with a text by Camilla Jalving.