[News Release] -- Sept/Oct 2006


Clay Bodvin

reformatting the still life...

ARTROM Gallery, Via Faiti 6, #1
Rome, Italy

artist presentation space
Sunday Sept. 24th at 4:00pm

Sitting Room, 2004 - photomedia painting as inkjet print

Burgeoning arrays of new consumables prompted by changing manufacturing methods. Corresponding waves of spectacular commodity consumption. Growing middle classes with increasing wealth. Not events normally associated with the early 17th or the late 19th centuries. Nevertheless this was happening at two significant points in time, and as a result, unparalleled desires for these luxury goods stirred in the privileged and style-conscious.

This was reflected in an increasing compulsion to enhance and document one’s personal, sensual pleasure - and resulted in an upsurge in the popularity of the painted image, particularly the still life. These paintings became must have items in that they displayed a patron's tastes and desires while also providing a conspicuous public record of their new found ability to acquire and consume.
Just consider the Dutch vanitas still life and, later, the modernist domestic interiors of Cézanne, Matisse and Picasso. Two significant tides of creativity - fuelled in each case by these confluent events. Now, fast forward to the present-day explosion of material goods and corresponding, rampant consumerism.

This time, however, it is a convergence with a difference - ie, artists now have the tools to transform collections of everyday objects in ways previously unimagined. What if Matisse had created his Red Interiors and paper cut-outs with laptops and photomedia technology?

What might these now-possible imaginings look like? A good example would be the recent work of Clay Bodvin. Using planned intentional-accidents Bodvin controls every aspect of his pixelated, flat-colour shapes and  juxtaposes them with lush, continuous-tone textures and surfaces.

The reformatting (reinventing, recreating) of these virtually-collaged, domestic interiors and serial compositions is, however, still in the manner of traditional still life painting. Done by distorting perspective and spatial depth; enlarging pots and jugs out of all proportion; and infusing humble things like oranges or wall coverings with unnaturally intense colours.

The believing is in the beholding and the next opportunity to become a believer will be in Rome at Artrom Gallery. If in town, a special opening event will take place with the artist in the artist presentation space on September 24, at 4.00 pm. The show will run through to October 24th.

For more information about this show and other gallery activities please contact:

ARTROM Gallery
Via Faiti 6, #1
00195 Roma
email: info@artromgallery,com
phone: 39 06 3227019