CHRIS VALENTINE
Abbreviated Submission Oil on panel 150h x 100w cm CV00118A R25,000
99 Loop is delighted to be exhibiting Chris Valentine's second solo exhibition with the gallery. In this latest body of work, Valentine continues his exploration of identity formation within a contemporary urban context. He focuses more closely, though, on the layered composition and intangibility of subjects as individuals, with indefinable personalities and histories. The figures in 'SubText' are never quite making eye contact with the viewer, suggesting the unknowability of another person. The abstracted backgrounds and pixelated glitching of both the paintings' surface and sitters' faces add to the unsettling nature of the portraits. By anchoring his imagery in the quotidian world and isolating individuals within each work, Valentine is encouraging his viewers to examine their
own experiences and beliefs. He questions the disconnection between our everyday and online identities, as well as the power of the individual versus the collective. The work of Johannesburg-based Valentine (b. 1990) has its roots in naturalistic portraiture, honed by years spent as an illustrator for commercial industries. Inspired by old and contemporary Masters alike, from Velasquez and Sargent to James Jean and Phil Hale, Valentine uses the internet to find inspiration and to connect to his audience and other artists. His combination of realistic brushwork and graphic abstract marks gives each piece a surreal and dreamy quality; a dream only partially remembered.
Calamity Whispers Oil on panel 150h x 100w cm CV00518A R25,000
Silent Broadcast Oil on panel 150h x 100w cm CV00218A R25,000 (On Hold)
Still Waters Oil on panel 150h x 100w cm CV00418A R25,000 (On Hold)
Frequency Shift Oil on panel 84.10h x 59.40w cm CV00718A R11,000
Of Two Minds Oil on panel 84.10h x 59.40w cm CV01218A R11,000 (On Hold)
White Noise Oil on panel 84.10h x 59.40w cm CV01118A R11,000 (On Hold)
Requiem Oil on panel 84.10h x 59.40w cm CV01018A R11,000
Subtext Oil on panel 84.10h x 59.40w cm CV01318A R11,000
Maelstrom Oil on panel 150h x 100w cm CV00318A R 25,000.00
Dissonance Oil on panel 100h x 150w cm CV00618A R25,000
Still Small Voice Oil on panel 84.10h x 59.40w cm CV00918A R 11,000
Knowing Oil on panel 84.10h x 59.40w cm CV00818A R 11,000.00