Who’s the Man is an epic installation of a thousand individual hand-painted panels with words used to describe and define ‘man’ by artist Rudy de Belgeonne. The installation will form the centerpiece of an exhibition which opens at London's The Future Gallery in June 2010.
'Every type of man you’ve ever been called, ever felt like, ever known’
Inspired by all the weird and wonderful names he’s been called over the years, Rudy plays with the ever-changing identity and categorisation of the modern man by creating definitions of masculinity packaged as products, as each word becomes a logo in glossy seductive enamel colours: Hero, God, King, Scoundrel, Rogue, Brute, Bad Boy, Love God, Fancy Dan, Mama Man, Sonofabitch, Sonofagun, Bloke, Joe Schmoe, Golden Boy, Nancy Boy…and on and on…
Five years in the making, Who’s the Man is a series of 1000 typographic works painted in beautiful shiny signwriter’s enamel on wooden panels. The installation of 1000 original paintings will be exhibited alongside limited edition sets of different sub-groups – Good Guys, Bad Guys, Gay Guys, Insults, movie references and so on.
above: SwineFiendDevilBrute, 1118mm x 840mm, Giclee print, edition of 25
Presented in this way each word becomes a logo, advertising a response to the ever-changing male identity, defined by morality, sexuality and the body. Using seductively glossy colours, each word is painted in a style that reflects its meaning – either literal or subconscious – referencing our language, typography, brands and visual culture.
above left: Superman Lover, 840mm x 1118mm special edition of 10, hand-painted giclee w 23ct gold leaf
above right: BAM-GRD, 840mm x 1118mm, Giclee, edition of 25
On the simplest level, Who’s the Man is an encyclopaedic and decorative texture of emotionally resonant colours and designs, but the playful placement of each panel reads left to right, top to bottom as a witty poem or narrative, where word associations throw up questions in the mind of the viewer about their own attitudes and expectations of masculinity.
above left: 16 Big Shots, 1626mm x 1118mm, Giclee print, edition of 25
above right: Space Cowboy Gangster of Love
The entire work (5m x 4m) will be accompanied by a limited-edition series of hand re-touched prints of each of the various subsets.
There will be an opportunity to purchase limited edition pieces at the exhibition: on sale will be the 1,000-panelled installation and a series of hand re-touched giclee prints in limited editions of 10. Visitors may also request a special commission by Rudy de Belgeonne on wooden panels.
above: 16 Lovermen, 700mm x 500mm, hand painted, enamel on wood, edition of 10
Exhibition details:
Thursday 3 – Tuesday 8 June 2010
10.00 – 18.30
The Future Gallery
5 Newport Street, London WC2H 7HY
T: +44 (0)20 3301 4727
Sponsored by:
Pearl and Coutts, quality residential and commercial property lettings in London
Courvoisier The Future 500, an exclusive network of 800 rising stars across the UK
About the artist:
Rudy de Belgeonne is a Slade-trained artist who’s fascination with puzzles and gameplay led him to work for many years new media as an interactive games designer. In addition to his painting, Rudy has worked on a wide range of projects – both personal and professional – that occupy the space where art & technology meet. He lives and works in London.
all images and info courtesy of the artist and gallery
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