Pieter Schoolwerth, After Troy 6 (2012), courtesy Miguel Abreu

The paintings of Pieter Schoolwerth sit at a peculiar intersection of homage and irreverence, combining classic painting techniques with a uniquely surreal vision of contemporary society, exploring the act of representation in painting, and continually playing with the nature of the human body as depicted in the fine arts.

Pieter Schoolwerth, After Troy (Installation View), courtesy Miguel Abreu

Continuing his recent practice of deconstruction and abstraction of classic works, Schoolwerth is currently presenting 5 new works at Michael Abreu Gallery in New York City.  Taken from classic renderings of the fall of Troy by Simon Vouet and Lionello Spada, his works reduce the human form to raw essentials, and recombine those elements into new configurations.

Pieter Schoolwerth, After Troy 5 (2012), courtesy Miguel Abreu

Employing broad swathes of color, human body parts and contour lines traced from the original works, Schoolwerth’s canvases become dynamic condensations of his original subjects, overlaying multiple figures to create striking intersections of color and movement.  The works borrow highly from contemporary digital assemblage, bearing pixelated edges around the prints on canvas.

Pieter Schoolwerth, After Troy 1 (2012), courtesy Miguel Abreu

Inherently cacophonous in their construction, the paintings of “After Troy” evoke the frantic, scattered nature of the Trojan royalty as its kingdom fell, the very fabric of its existence was torn.  Showcasing Aeneas and his family in their darkest moments, Schoolwerth’s paintings here contribute a new perspective on classic work, while exploring the reinterpretation of these works and mythologies in the 21st century.

Pieter Schoolwerth, After Troy (Installation View), courtesy Miguel Abreu

After Troy closes on December 22nd, 2012.

Pieter Schoolwerth, After Troy (Installation View), courtesy Miguel Abreu

Pieter Schoolwerth, After Troy 10 (2012), courtesy Miguel Abreu

—D. Creahan

Suggested Links
[Pieter Schoolwerth via Miguel Abreu]
[Miguel Abreu Gallery]

This entry was posted on Friday, December 21st, 2012 at 11:56 am and is filed under Art News, Go See. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.