The Duality of a Moment

cadet capela is very pleased to present The duality of a moment: the first solo exhibition in France of the Australian artist Jordy Kerwick.

Jordy Kerwick’s figurative lexical field is, without a doubt, a pretext for painting. His predominantly vivid compositions, whose perspective is almost non-existent, immortalize both completely fantasized and much more autobiographical subjects, often within the same canvas. He also takes up classic themes of painting, notably still lifes and vanities. He adds elements of everyday life with antagonistic connotations, such as flowers and cigarettes, thus juxtaposing the attractive and drab aspects of life. 

His highly recognizable iconography is built around a ensemble of recurring graphic elements, almost patterns-like, composed of cobras, wolf heads, feathers, naked women or vegetal elements. Predatory animals are increasingly present in his recent works, as if to remind Man of his primitive nature. Kerwick also quotes historical references such as Théodore Géricault’s A lion attacking a horse, 1762.

Kerwick explores the intrinsic relationships of painting between thickness, color and flatness. Using a variety of techniques, from acrylic paint to oil to spray paint to collage, Kerwick’s raw and unapologetic works are imbued with an obviousness, sublimated by the richness of the textures and the depth of the surfaces.

Jordy Kerwick is a self-taught artist, born in 1982 in Melbourne, Australia. He lives and works near Albi, in the south of France.