Art Hag

For Silent Movie, Hans Op de Beeck's first solo show at Marianne Boesky Gallery, the Belgian mutli-media artist has transformed the gallery space into a quiet, gray interior of a silent film showcasing his two sculptural works and haunting black and white watercolors. Silent Movie examines "depopulated spaces at night, and the melancholic and alienating mood that staged, composed or constructed surroundings often convey..." displaying a series of "static images that might evoke film like moods or narratives" (from show's press release).

Op de Beeck's moody paintings show "nocturnal outdoor scenes and medium shots and close-ups of fictitious home and museum like surroundings..." while delicately playing with light. He expertly captures the sun's (or is it the moon's?) reflection on ocean waves; the twinkle of Christmas tree lights, fireworks, and a disco ball; and the mysterious glow as seen behind a Folding Screen or emanating from a desk lamp and laptop screen (Still Life) or glittering from the many windows dotting Cruise Liner (4).

One of the sculptures on view, A house by the sea, is an enormous, meticulous, gray dollhouse-like structure "inspired by the isolated, detached family house as a cinematic archetype." The house, featuring a mix of "conventional, traditional architectural styles with early modernism," has a few tiny, styled scenes that you can see by peering through the windows. In one window upstairs you can spy a baby's nursery, out on a terrace are a few tiny wine glasses and chairs, and in a dining room there are more wine glasses, a fireplace, a chandelier, and a knocked over chair. Does this cinematic scene depict the remains of Bacchanalian revelry or the aftermath of a violent encounter? According to the show's press release, the exhibit aims to open a discussion about "how we stage our surroundings, and how these surroundings become the inept scenery of both festive and tragic moments, of recurring home rituals or mental wandering." The absence of people in the works invites viewers to project themselves into the scenes and come up with their own interpretations and conclusions. Op de Beeck's paintings remind me a bit of Gary Simmons' ghostly Midnight Matinee works, however unlike Simmons who mimics the movement of filmstrips, Op de Beeck's works in Silent Movie indulge in stillness and silence. Learn more at Marianneboeskygallery.com and at the artist's website Hansopdebeeck.com. Through July 16th.

Possible Panorama (2), 2010