13 Mar 2011

André Butzer at Carbon 12, Dubai

André Butzer at Carbon 12, Dubai

Carbon 12, in association with the prestigious Max Hetzler gallery, proudly presents the art of André Butzer in his first major solo exhibition in the Middle East. Potato Chips, Coke and Medicine. Fanta and Sprite, long-life milk, Micky and Donald.

At first glance Butzer's exhibition titles have a distinct pop feeling, a certain lightness. Works named 'Blue Smurfs', 'Entombment of Winnie the Pooh' or 'Favorite Painting of Paul Cezanne' suggest absurd and conceptual, even grotesque directions. But it is much more than that: 'Science-Fiction Expressionism', as Butzer himself calls his unique, demanding style. The founder of the legendary art academy 'Isotrop' and co-editor of the magazine of the same name doesn't seem to be concerned with genres, classifications or trends. His paintings oscillate between abstraction and figuration, enchanted with bright colors and executed with expressive brush strokes. Shapes are morphing and characters are born, a whole universe of signs and signifiers in constant flux, referencing American and German history, politics and economy, pop culture and the entertainment industry, but always focusing on the development of a personal vocabulary and grammar. Or in Butzer's own words: 'I am not a painter, but an artist!'.