Andrew Brandou, one of my favorite pop surrealist painters, has a show of new work opening tomorrow at the Milieu Galerie/Artspace in Bern, Switzerland. Regular BB readers may remember that last year, Brandou showed a provocative collection of paintings based on the story of Jim Jones and the People's Temple. Brandou's new show is titled Mind Manors and he intends it not just as an expression of what he thinks but also a representation of his mind. Andrew kindly sent me a preview of some of the pieces to share here, and also an informal statement about the collection. Click on the images to see them larger.
From his email:
With Mind Manors, i am attempting to construct a metaphor for the way
my mind works, or in some cases, does not. Layered above a nebulous ground
are the flowers found in much of my work, both a translation of the organic
world, as counterpoint to the cerebral architecture or headspace.The room/containers are areas of my mind, conscious and unconscious, layered
and maze like, some with doors and stairwells to make them accessible,
others simply boxes, unfinished and empty.Wandering through this architecture are the bunny and
skull, as seen in much of my work. In this case, their roles are that
of the active mind and the internal observer. The active mind is
seen searching for inspiration or ideas, though it is often asleep
or unconscious. The observer is always there, eyes wide open, aware
without judging.This is a rare series for me in that i did very little "research," as
opposed to the Jim Jones or Audubon series. Instead, I worked more
directly from my personal experience. I did very little in terms of
sketching, opting for immediacy and an almost subconscious
compositional style. In a way the pieces are Rebus puzzles, using a
personal vocabulary of imagery to transmit stories from my subconscious.
Andrew Brandou's site, Milieu Galerie/Artspace
Previously on BB:
• Andrew Brandou: Jonestown Paintings
• Andrew Brandou on his Jonestown Paintings
