Cristian Avram - Lapse
The last time I went into Workplace I was eagerly drawn in by a giant neon-coloured installation I’d seen from across the street. The current show is unlikely to pull casual passers-by, because dish towels drying on a radiator isn’t the kind of imagery that makes you pause on a busy day. But this is slow art, where innocuous domesticity might reward you if you give it a chance.
Framed through doorways or looking through windows, these paintings mysteriously position you somewhere inside and/or outside a home. The context and location is unclear. Incongruous, random views appear like fragmented memories from a visit you once made to an unfamiliar house.
Figures appear, often just out-of-frame and seemingly unaware of the painter. Despite their presence there is an overwhelming sense of emptiness and isolation. The voyeuristic framing makes me want to look longer, though I fear I may get caught. In fact, I get a bit sheepish when the gallerist walks by and catches me staring through one of the windows.
Recurring elements — an orange door, those dish towels drying — indicate the locale is a small, intimate setting. The artist isnt wandering through a multi-room estate. He‘s simply turning his head within one or two rooms. Open windows, crimson skies and the unmistakeable glow of incandescent bulbs imply late summer evenings, triggering memories of my youth, playing outdoors after dinner and being called home for bath time.
A few portraits and a biblical scene are included in the show, but I find these distracting and less effective than the hazy, anonymous voyeurism. I never cease to be amazed by the emotions that art can elicit when I slow down and let myself absorb it. This group of paintings that I didn’t think would entice me inside has certainly made it hard to walk away.
At Workplace (@_workplace_) until 08 Oct
Follow @christiavram136 on Instagram for more info about the artist