West Chelsea Contemporary presents The Austin International Art Fair (AIAF), a large-scale immersive exhibition featuring works from over fifteen countries and thirty two artists. Curated by country, this show affords the viewer the opportunity to engage the global reach of contemporary art by exploring the ties that bind our international landscape. Specifically the theme of narrative is placed in focus: narrative through subject, narrative through medium, and narrative through stylistic movement. Each of these artists is telling a story either directly within the borders of their work, through their artistic practice and a piece’s creation, or by their relation to a broader artistic genre. Narrowing the exhibition to this central concept illuminates the intersection of seemingly unrelated artists and their work. Artists who would typically never share syntax, let alone wall space, are displayed together in order to elucidate new conclusions and prompt dynamic discussions.
Through subject matter artists generate imaginative narratives that transport the viewer into new worlds. American neo-expressionist painter Hunt Slonem creates a realm of repeated birds, butterflies and bunnies. Creatures take on new life in Australian duo Gillie and Marc Schattner’s anthropomorphised characters of Dogman and Rabbitwoman. Local Austin artist Matthew Trujillo explores the face as a storytelling medium - his close-up, color blocking style captures expression, leaving the viewer to wonder about ‘who’ the work depicts. British duo The Connor Brothers draw on the nostalgia of film noir and snarky witticisms to create unexpected, relatable moments.
Through the medium of photography, narratives emerge during creation and set-up of the composition. Known for his documentation of wild horses, Canadian photographer Roberto Dutesco seeks to bring their beauty to new audiences while fellow Canadian fashion photographer Raphael Mazzucco reveals figures and forms under layers of resin and paint. Brazilian artist Vik Muniz recreates masterworks with inventive materials in seemingly impossible ways while Italian photographer Massimo Vitali explores populated landscapes from a distance. Represented British artist Gary James McQueen creates the surreal through the lenticular technique, drawing inspiration from his tutelage under his uncle, Alexander McQueen.
Through association with artistic movements, works of art connect to overarching narratives that have been identified and established by art critics and historians. Synonymous with surrealism, French surrealist Salvador Dalí’s oeuvre both shocked viewers with its exploration of the psyche and paved the way for future artists. Continuing in this tradition, Australian born, French neo-surrealist Gil Bruvel works across multiple disciplines and media. Also Australian, photographer Vee Speers captures a surreal dystopia while investigating our youth-obsessed society. Cultural movements within a collectivist society are explored through contemporary Chinese art. Artists such as Zhang Xiaogang and Yue Minjun question the status of the individual while Liu Bolin paints himself into sites of historical contention. Neo-pop masters Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara engage the tradition of manga and the Superflat movement.
The story-telling avenues of subject, medium, and movement serve to show that this unifying theme connects us all through a shared international narrative. West Chelsea Contemporary invites the viewer to journey across borders and discover different means of expression, story telling, and narrative.
