Connected / FALK GERNEGROSS

About

Falk Gernegross paints scenes from the calm before the storm, scenes of innocence and open-ended possibility. Fantasy comes before action. The artist establishes a rich tension between stillness and simmering forward motion, pausing each character just before they commit themselves to a more determined or narratively compelling form of action. In this arrested state, fantasy reigns supreme. Beauty has not yet been reduced to a decisive fate. The innocence of each character is kept intact, putting the onus upon the viewer to fill in the blanks as they see fit: is it love or lust? Are they strangers or old friends? Have we become voyeurs of a private act, or has a private act been put on display for our us?

Outstretched nudes and contemplative domestic snapshots are rendered with the utmost sympathy, emulating both the vibrant contours of Renaissance painting and the life-affirming impulse of surrealism. The artist imbues each scene with candor, unearthing a lighthearted humor which naturally inhabits moments of intense eros as easily as it does the banality of daily routine. His figures appear to be out of step with time, at once both futuristic and old-world. Their gazes wander towards some point just beyond the canvas itself, their suspended poses are saturated with deep currents of yearning kinetic energy. 

Gernegross’ work creates an open-ended plurality of meanings. His characters offer us recognition and sensuality, but they do not offer us an account of themselves, instead gliding into the space of fantasy, striking poses which suggest a bounty of possibilities, but which commit to none. We are left with the task of sorting out what comes next. In Gernegross’ courthouse of action and desire, the viewer, not the painting, is judge and jury. Art provides the cause for fantasy, but it is us who must determine its final implication, be it voyeurism or empathy, natural delight or taboo, exposure or trust.

Falk Gernegross (b. 1973, Marienberg, Germany) received his degree at the Academy of Visual Arts in Leipzig, where he studied directly under Arno Rink and Neo Rauch. Notable exhibitions include the Nassima Landau Foundation in Tel Aviv, and the solo shows Morning Glory and Twist at Galerie Kleindienst, Leipzig. Connected at M+B is the artist’s first solo exhibition in the United States. Falk Gernegross works and lives in Leipzig, Germany.

Location:                                    M+B Doheny, 468 North Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, California 90048

Show Title:                                 Falk Gernegross: Connected

Exhibition Dates:                         May 21 – June 30, 2022

Opening Reception:                     Saturday, May 21, 6 – 8 pm

Gallery Hours:                             Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm, and by appointment

Social Media:                              @mblosangeles @falkgernegross

For all inquiries, please contact info@mbart.com.