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Photo : © Ron Mandos Gallery
Galerie Ron Mandos is delighted to present SLOW, an exhibition with new paintings by Katinka Lampe (NL, 1963). In her newest works, Lampe has given a special role to the spectator. She allows us an unexpected view of models lying in repose, their heads tilted backwards or turned away, seemingly unaware of the attention they receive. Neither judging, nor forcing their view on us. Lampe’s newest paintings function as mirrors, showing us our reflection rather than the model’s identity, their feelings and beliefs.
Oh, would some Power give us the gift, to see ourselves as others see us! – Robert Burns (Scottish poet and lyricist), 1786
Mirror, mirror… we’re facing ourselves in a world on fire. The corona pandemic, worldwide Black Lives Matter demonstrations, global climate change. The internet has turned into an online battlefield of people impulsively posting their insubstantial opinions and obnoxious insults towards others. Despite the internet’s many advantages – our capacity to freely communicate on issues that truly matter, we are being overwhelmed by uninformed statements on a daily basis. In SLOW, Lampe argues for more self-reflection, for taking a step back, to listen, and to stop judging one another without discretion.
SLOW is also about the gentle and rigorous procedure that assures the impeccable finish of each painting. Her works often require up to ten layers of oil paint, each taking a week to dry. They are the result of highly stylized and choreographed compositions – photographed first, then drawn on paper and consequently cut out. The intricate stencils she uses to build up her layered works have become a trademark for Katinka Lampe. Her distinctive aesthetic seduces us to take time to slowly peel off the different layers and to contemplate the beauty of the paint on canvas.