Uncovering ‘Affection’: Light & Dark and Physicality
Maria Zaccarian
Arts and Literature graduate, student in Literary Studies
“Affection”, Thom Oosterhof’s latest exhibition in collaboration with Marian Cramer Projects, opened on the 20th of April. Featuring the works of eleven artists - including Gabe Cortese, Karthyn Kampovsky, and Billy Vanilli - the exhibition explores how the contrast of light and dark, as well as human physicality, can be used to express affection.
The collaborative effort between curator Thom Oosterhof and Marian Cramer Projects gives rise to the "Affection" exhibition. Revealed at Marian Cramer's home gallery on Chopinstraat 31 in Amsterdam, the artworks will remain on display until June 20th, coinciding with the Amsterdam Art Weekend at the end of May. The show welcomes all art enthusiasts, offering a glimpse into contemporary international art and its evolving trends.
When describing the main theme of the exhibition, the curator Thom Oosterhof explains the two-fold approach starting from his interest in “the use of light in paintings and in particular its contrast to darkness, as well as how artists use the human figure to give off the impression of affection”. According to Oosterhof, the darker tones of the displayed artworks offer a peek into the more nuanced aspects of the concept: “The idea of affection that I wanted to play with was that it isn't always obvious and flashy, but it can be found in more subtle spaces”.
The gallery's atmosphere enhances the exhibition's theme, with Marian Cramer Projects creating a warm and welcoming ambience typical of a home setting. Marian emphasizes that presenting artworks in this manner allows collectors to envision how the pieces might complement their own living spaces: “It shows if a piece can work on a wallpaper or in your home. It is easier to imagine it in your own space”. Additionally, Thom elaborates on the significance of the gallery's environment, describing it as imbued with a sense of intimacy akin to that of a personal dwelling. He comments on his perspective by recounting how “working in a space like this does bring a different element to the show. It's a very human show, with human figures, and the gallery has a very domestic kind of personal feeling. And what's more personal than home?”.
Regarding the artworks themselves, an array of techniques is used, presenting both vibrant and muted colour palettes, with depictions varying from realistic to abstract. What brings the artworks together is the general sense of “softness” that comes with the intent to explore what affection is.
One of the artists, Shoshanah Walfish, confronts affection through physicality and its perception. Her two paintings in ‘Affection’ were initially part of an exhibition in Belgium reflecting on how we look at the inner body, yet she finds that the ambiguous shapes, warm tones, and interaction between foreground and background –
show affection between people, between ourselves and each other, <...> how all that is interconnected and impossible to separate.
Gabe Cortese, in his painting Como una Perla, creates a charcoal representation of a man affectionately holding a glass orb. In describing the thought behind his art, Gabe says: “I think I latched onto the ‘tender’ aspect of affection with this work. There was a caring gesture that I wanted to portray that was like the man is protecting something he just found.” A different angle of affection is explored in Salvator, a painting by Benjamin Kress who, with his traditional painting technique, tried to capture the many facets of affection. The artist describes the sentiment behind it saying: “On a very simple level: sometimes love hurts. <...> When we care about somebody, we’re also opening ourselves up to the possibility of being hurt.”
Furthermore, affection is multifaceted. David Weishaar explains how his paintings “evoke rejection, as well as love and desire, somewhere violence, but also the empathy that comes from solitude”. The artist attempts to “target contemporary issues that question the world’s attitudes towards what is ‘other’.” The nuances of affection are expanded on by Billy Vanilli in This is Your Life, where he depicts gallium - a metal whose melting point is slightly below body temperature.
The idea of body heat causing something to transform from a solid to a liquid seemed intimate and powerful. I believe we do this to each other” he explains, “The distortion and directional pull of the painting is also there to imply that affection is not stagnant, it changes and evolves throughout life and the relationships we have.”
Despite the various approaches, techniques, and implications, the artworks reflected the overarching theme in their collectivity, as well as their individuality.
There are certain works which seem to be about affection in terms of subject matter,” says artist Benjamin Kress, “but in some ways, the exhibition seems to be about affection for painting or affection for a process.”
If you wish to visit the exhibition, do not hesitate to book an appointment with Marian Cramer Projects via email or Instagram.
Participating artists:
Gabe Cortese, Paola Angelini, Chantal Khoury, Danilo Stojanović, Kathryn Kampovsky, Andrea Medjesi Jones, Grace Bromley, David Weishaar, Benjamin Kress, Georgia-May Travers Cook, Shoshana Walfish, Erickson Díaz-Cortés, Billy Vanilli.
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