‘Andy Denzler: Out of the Dark’ @ Opera Gallery Paris
Most recently exhibited at Opera Gallery’s Paris location, Swiss artist Andy Denzler’s second solo exhibition Out of the Dark contains the artist’s most recent body of work made in his Zurich studio between 2021 and 2022.
Denzler’s work is an eerie abstraction of the human form. By producing fragmented paintings that are void-like in their presentation, he explores motion, the passage of time, and the human figure. His haunting, phantasmic paintings are entrancing–you can almost hear the crackle of static–with his subjects portrayed intimately and emotionally. Drawing inspiration from Rembrandt, Denzler is a master of manipulating light which, in turn, lends a Baroque feel to his contemporary works.
Andy Denzler, Out of the Dark, 2021. Oil on canvas, 210 x 180 cm. © Andy Denzler/Courtesy Opera Gallery.
Denzler, unlike many painters who work with the human figure, works off of photographs that he takes in his studio rather than working with live models. His paintings are glitch-like in their composition, which brings to mind the accidental abstraction that can come with the development of film photography. Using photographs to produce these abstractions brings to mind other artists who have also dealt with the human figure through the medium of photography, such as Francis Bacon and Gerhard Richter. Expertly combining the real and the abstract, Denzler’s work is beautifully chaotic and instils intrigue in the viewer. The paintings are something to get lost in, producing an uncanny aura which gives the work a strange familiarity. His subjects are often shown in an intimate light; a woman lounging in her messy bed in her underwear, a girl on her couch, a woman posing in Denzler’s own studio. His use of intimate interiors as the backgrounds for his paintings results in a casual familiarity within his portraits.
Denzler’s painting Out of Dark, like many of his other works, displays a muted colour palette which produces the solemn feeling that is found in his work. The dark background produces an empty atmosphere where the figure stands out dressed in his stark white t-shirt and trainers. This piece, like many of Denzler’s works in this show, deals with the human form, uniquely marrying the abstract with reality. This is particularly well demonstrated in Out of the Dark, where the face of the figure, although abstracted in a blurred, glitch aesthetic, feels familiar and strangely clear; tired, solemn, and even sweet, almost as if he is in a dream-like state. The soft hues combined with his gentle expression exhibit a fond sweetness while the dark background provides contrast, epitomising Denzler’s dark and brooding portraiture–a tribute to the human form.
Andy Denzler, Distorted Land I, 2021. Oil on canvas, 190 x 250 cm. © Andy Denzler/Courtesy Opera Gallery.
Denzler’s latest work exhibits a change in his style. Half of the works in the show are more typical of what the artist usually produces–skewed portraits in muted colour tones–but Distorted Land I demonstrates a new development in Denzler’s practice. His paintings have become almost collage-like, with the use of complex backgrounds as well as multiple subjects adding new dynamism to the work. The artist has always displayed a masterful use of colour, however, his use of brighter hues gives the work a fresh feel. Although it still maintains a darker tone at the core, now, with the heightened use of colour, it evokes stronger visual triggers. These new works produce new landscapes in which the longer you look at them the more visually evocative they become. This is evident in Distorted Land I, which produces a complex composition including elements of the surreal. The scene feels like something you would experience in a dream, and the darkness of the skull against the gentle hues of a sunset is stimulating and, because of Denzler’s master manipulation of the paint, functions seamlessly.
Andy Denzler, Flying Tires I, 2021. Oil on Canvas 190 x 250 cm © Andy Denzler / Courtesy Opera Gallery
In another haunting landscape, Flying Tires I depicts two figures in the foreground, their faces obscured thus making them impossible to see. These mysterious figures add an element of unease, and by not being able to see the faces of the two women the viewer’s reference point is lost and adds an additional layer of eeriness. The background is much darker than that of Distorted Land I, providing a stark contrast to Denzler’s use of light. The house on the right with the porch light illuminates a dark red sky; it has a menacing element and the red sky gives the scene a dystopian feel, especially when paired with the woman in the foreground. The clothing of the two figures is gentle and feminine; a sweet pink farm dress and a white snug t-shirt with coral underwear. This gentle femininity contrasts the dark background and adds an unusual level of comfort to the ultimately menacing scene.
Andy Denzler, Show Me You, 2021. Oil on canvas, 190 x 250 cm. © Andy Denzler/Courtesy Opera Gallery.
Arguably one of the most interesting developments of Denzler’s practice is his introduction of multiple figures, which expands the depth of the narrative and enriches the work, making it perhaps even more didactic. Show Me You is a perfect example of this richness that multiple figures can provide. The figure in the foreground is clearly the focus of the work, the gaping mouth of the tilted head providing a feeling of yearning or even lamentation. In the background, we see a couple with their backs turned walking with their arms around each other. Both figures provide a different range of emotions; the couple poses ideas regarding a new beginning or perhaps new love, while the figure in the foreground provides a sense of pain or wonder. The title of the work Show Me You is illustrated in the feelings that the work produces, the figures perhaps representing the desire to know someone versus the reality of truly knowing them. The couple represents the sweetness of new beginnings and being curious about someone and yearning to know more, whereas the figure in the foreground represents the possibility of getting to know someone and the potential mismatch with the ideal you have created in your mind. Denzler’s tension between light and dark adds to this dichotomy as well. His use of multiple figures produces these narratives, provoking intense curiosity and a yearning to know more about the subjects from the POV of the viewer.
Andy Denzler, The Last Tasmanian Tiger, 2021. Oil on canvas, 250 x 190 cm. © Andy Denzler/Courtesy Opera Gallery.
The Last Tasmanian Tiger depicts Benjamin–the last Tasmanian tiger before the extinction of the species in the early eighties due to excessive hunting and destruction of habitat. Denzler immortalises these hyena-like tigers in his work. He shows the tiger strolling in a strange habitat, divulging itself from a black void. Although the tiger is the real focus of the piece, the other two women seem blissfully unaware of its presence. The tension between predator and unsuspecting prey is evident in this work. Although the tiger would be thought to be the predator, in this case, the extinction of the Tasmanian tigers was directly caused by humans. This display of the tiger between the two women challenges the traditional dichotomy of predator and prey. Although Denzler frames a narrative of the tiger stalking the oblivious woman in blue, the tiger has more reason to fear the woman as her species has done irreversible damage to his. The naivete of the tiger also produces an interesting narrative of forgotten species and human impact on the environment. I hadn’t heard of the Tasmanian tiger before seeing this work and it prompted me to think about all the species that have gone extinct due to human intervention and how unaware we are about our own impact on the world.
Andy Denzler, Distorted Land II, 2021. Oil on canvas, 190 x 250 cm. © Andy Denzler/Courtesy Opera Gallery.
Out of the Dark is a reinvention of Denzler’s own style, producing dynamic narratives with thought-provoking background stories. The work is largely up to the viewer to interpret and it’s clear that no two viewers would draw the same interpretations. His dreamy yet dystopian paintings frame elements of the real and the surreal in a valuable exchange to create deeply rich and enticing compositions. Denzler’s inclusion of multiple subjects has been executed extremely successfully, only augmenting his skill as an artist. By producing a number of dichotomies with his active and passive subjects, these dynamic, colourful, and skewed compositions evoke intense, conflicting emotions while retaining an element of mystery. Simply put, Denzler’s work is a must-see and I look forward to seeing the continual progression of his practice.
Click here to view Out of the Dark through Opera Gallery’s Online Viewing Room.
Hannah Savage
Reviews Editor, MADE IN BED