Beck & Eggeling is delighted to present the new series of works  ‘Boo!-tiful’  by Stefan à Wengen exclusively and for the first time in a solo exhibition entitled  ‘Boo!-tiful. 100 Boo!-ties’. 

‘Boo!-tiful’ – what is behind the unusual title? Well, it is cleverly chosen, as it unites two opposing poles – the frightening and the beautiful – and thus aptly describes the thematic focus of the series of works begun in 2020. The two-part title, which may sound like a dichotomy, indicates what is clearly reflected in the motifs.

The so-called  ‘Boo!-ties’, as Stefan à Wengen – with a wink – refers to the one hundred paintings in his new series of works, show bizarre monster figures that mostly carry their female victims – the beauties – paralysed by the shock and fainting in their arms or actively frighten them with their creepy appearance. They are almost without exception scenes from so-called B-movies, which were made in Hollywood in the 1930s and today enjoy cult status. 

Stefan à Wengen's new works are monotypes on canvas created by the artist using a transfer technique he developed himself, which is based on decalcomania (a reproductive procedure). They are unique pieces which, due to the monotype process, show unavoidable scratches and signs of wear, making the works appear older and thus all the more authentic. The small format and the scenes set on a golden ground make them look like contemporary icons.