Carla Klein

Opening Reception: Thursday, June 8, 6-8 pm

Bonakdar Jancou Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of paintings by Carla Klein. A Dutch painter, now living and working in London, this will be the first solo exhibition of Klein’s work in the United States.

Carla Klein uses a predominantly mono-chromatic pallette to present images of anonymous, empty containers and architectural spaces. At once expressionistic and emotionless, the works suggest more than they reveal. Primarily devoid of the figure, or any clear living presence, the paintings instead reflect traces and artifacts of life and movement. Bluish-white paint drips and brushstrokes describe a swimmer’s wake and the watery architecture of a large underground swimming pool. Exploiting the similarity between the liquid form of both subject and medium, the paintings exist between abstraction and representation. Conceptually, they blur the border between painting and photography as Klein puts forth images that straddle the worlds of reality and fiction.

The locations and subjects depicted are often points of departure, or transitory landmarks, such as airport terminals or bridges. These images take inspiration from the photographic postcard, again reflecting locations and spaces non-specific and generic, iconography that reflects more the constructed ideal than any site of reality or actual experience. The photograph becomes a useful metaphor for the work: empty, formal constructs that attempt transparency but become an undeniably biasing filter through which any subject must be perceived.

Carla Klein’s recent exhibitions include ‘TroubleSpot.Painting’ at MUHKA, Antwerp, Belgium.

This exhibition is made possible through generous support from the Mondriaan Foundation Amsterdam, for the advancement of the visual arts, design and museums.

A fully illustrated catalog published by the Artimo Foundation in conjunction with this exhibition with an essay by Anke Bangma is currently available.

Carla Klein