Sophie von
Hellermann
Accidental Portraits
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Vilma Gold are
pleased to present a new exhibition of work by Sophie von Hellermann.
A nude stands in a 50’s interior whilst a stormy sky whirls
outside. Beneath her a parquet floor has seemingly been
transformed into a sea of fish bones. In the foreground stands
a portrait of a woman in profile with a group of three roses
laid out above. In a scene reminiscent of a De Chirico dreamscape,
von Hellermann constructs a surreal landscape of uncertain borders.
Painting in pigment and acrylic emulsion, von Hellemann once
described her work ‘as if the canvas were carried past
the actual events.’ Yet, conversely, it often appears
as if the works possess the weight of premonition, foretelling
narratives laced with uncertainties. Von Hellermann’s
paintings draw upon current affairs as often as they borrow
from the imagery of classical mythology and literature. In ‘Obama’
a mass of people watch as a newly elected president and his
wife drive through the crowds in a black open top car. The evening
light and flash of the car’s headlights give rise to both
a heady sense of celebration and a lurking sense of danger.
In ‘Evening Song’ a mystical figure stares into
a blazing sun, whilst shadows dance behind. In the midst of
this a plane is visible darting across the evening sky.
"To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped
as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream." In
Sylvia’s Plath’s ‘The Bell Jar’, Esther’s
internal retort to her mother’s assertions that her madness
was ‘just a bad dream’, transposes the concept of
‘reality’ into another way of looking. Von Hellerman’s
painterly imaginary is laden with ambiguity and uncertainty,
yet here also the gift of perception can be seen in play.
Sophie von Hellermann is currently participating in ‘The
Alliance’, at Do-Art gallery, Beijing and Seoul curated
by Seungduk Kim and Franck Gautherot. She will be participating
in a forthcoming group show at Base-Progetti per l’Arte,
Florence, curated by Franz West, and ‘Painting Now and
Forever Part II’ at Greene Naftali and Matthew Marks Gallery
later this year.
For further information or images please contact Sarah McCrory:
+44(0) 20 8981 3344 or: sarah@vilmagold.com |
Oliver Twist
2008
185x235cm
The Kiss
2008
120x80cm
New roses and accidental portriats
2008
160x200cm
It began in Naples
2008
185x235cm
The Opening
2008
200x300cm
Installation view
Installation view
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