Andrew Salgado: Strange Weather

About

* In light of the government’s new lockdown measures, the gallery will be open by appointment only until 2 December unless otherwise specified. 

Salgado’s paintings have evolved greatly since the large-scale, painterly portraits he became known for almost a decade ago, and though they have become less autobiographical and increasingly stylized, it can be maintained that ultimately, his paintings are about the ‘human condition’. Unfurling over almost 20 pieces, the exuberant body of work continues his development of fantastical narratives, mythology-building, and contemplation of the individual. All of this is exhibited through skillful handling of colour, a knack for powerful (if admittedly ‘off-kilter’) compositions, and a loved, as well as a wry sense of humour.

Strange Weather leads the viewer through a trail like chapters in a magic-realist novel, allowing them a peek at Salgado’s strange world of allusions, appropriations, nods to art-history, various inspirations, and a host of subtle literary references. Salgado, an avid reader, creates a continuity between paintings, each with its relevant characters and settings, like an act in a greater Quixotic story.

A self-proclaimed ‘maximalist’, leans into his ‘Salgado-esque‘ tendencies with a healthy dose of kitsch: orb-like oranges roll from painting to painting; heavy, low-hanging moons adorn almost every piece; serpentine cat-tails weave through the compositions; curlicues of smoke obscure figures; and Benday-dot style stars float in the night sky. Never one to shy from excess, the artist manages these motifs with effortlessness and energy – resulting in works that while reverberating and chaotic, also at times seem calm, dreamlike, or serene.