Dani Jakob
Halfway to Heaven
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Vilma Gold are pleased
to present Dani Jakob's first London solo exhibition Halfway
to Heaven.
Dani Jakob's new exhibition consists of a series of silk paintings
and a floor painting created on a 'saltlake'; a slowly formed
bed of sea salt crystals. Using unconventional materials,
or those that are primarily considered craft techniques, such
as silk-painting, papier-mâché and crystal-forming,
Jakob produces works which utilise lo-fi 'outsider' techniques
whilst referencing fine art movements and artists.
In particular, this exhibition references the works of Futurist
Giacomo Balla (1871-1958) and Swiss artist, scientist
and healer Emma Kunz (1892-1963). Jakob uses the motifs
and principles of geometric abstraction drawn from these two
artists who originate from contrary perspectives; Balla portrayed
"abstract equivalents for every form and element in the universe...
combin(ing) them according to the caprice of our inspiration,
creating plastic complexes which we will set in motion", whereas
Kunz made images of energy fields from which she would formulate
diagnoses for her patients. According to Kunz these drawings
embodied visionary consciousness and contained overarching information
and secrets about the world. Both artists intended to
propose answers and solutions for the elementary questions of
mankind and society, though from opposing viewpoints.
At the beginning of 20th century, avant-garde movements like
Futurism, Art Nouveau, the Bauhaus and later individuals like
Kurt Schwitters opened up their paintings, drawings and collages
into notional constructs of high illusionary systems/utopias
with political, philosophical and social agendas without denying
the private mythology of the artist.
Dani Jakob's paintings on silk explore geometry through spiritualism,
synthesising the ideas of Balla and Kunz in a 'single entity',
exposing the fundamental nuanced emotional and spiritual works
of both artists. Jakob has expounded the idea of opposing
natures in the works by creating contrasting spaces.
Dani Jakob lives and works in Berlin. She studied at
the Kunstakademie Karlsruhe and has exhibited in the 4th Berlin
Biennale with Sebastian Hammwöhner and Gabriel Vormstein,
in "Paradise Opens Now" at the Halle für Kunst,
Lüneburg, "Les Sept Doigts de la Main" at the
Kunsthaus Baselland, 2004, "Entrer dans la Lumière",
Meyer Riegger, Karlsruhe, 2003, and Galerie Fons Welters,
Playstation, Amsterdam, 2002.
For further information or images please contact Sarah McCrory:
+44(0) 20 8981 3344 or: sarah@vilmagold.com |
Reconstruction of the Universe, 2006
salt, pigment, acrylic colour, laquer and leaves
0 x 600 x 400 cm
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