Presented in 2015 during the exhibition at Le Consortium in Dijon, this large canvas by Christian Lindow is one of a series of paintings of the facades of a few houses or buildings, created within a restricted chromatic field. As was characteristic of his work in the early 1980s, the edges of the canvas are left unpainted, recalling Art Informel, which advocated painting’s autonomy in relation to the represented subject. This subject is rendered summarily, by reproducing the broad outlines of the chosen image.
Lindow creates in the moment, taking possession of reality through the pictorial material, which is laid out on the canvas in thick strokes. This apparent spontaneity of execution is nevertheless subject to carefully considered technical choices, not only about the material—acrylic making it possible to produce more extensive material effects—but also about the medium; in this case, the thick texture of the rough jute canvas offers better paint penetration. This economy of means is perfectly placed in the service of his direct workmanship, freed from any sophistication or sentimentality.
His practice essentially boils down to the act of painting, to lively body movements that infuse the simplest shapes with power. In his very large works, the artist succeeds in preserving a sketch-like character that blurs the motif to the point of almost making it disappear. Through this intentional detachment, Lindow reinvented painting with his special relationship to the image and to the question of its representation.
Lindow creates in the moment, taking possession of reality through the pictorial material, which is laid out on the canvas in thick strokes. This apparent spontaneity of execution is nevertheless subject to carefully considered technical choices, not only about the material—acrylic making it possible to produce more extensive material effects—but also about the medium; in this case, the thick texture of the rough jute canvas offers better paint penetration. This economy of means is perfectly placed in the service of his direct workmanship, freed from any sophistication or sentimentality.
His practice essentially boils down to the act of painting, to lively body movements that infuse the simplest shapes with power. In his very large works, the artist succeeds in preserving a sketch-like character that blurs the motif to the point of almost making it disappear. Through this intentional detachment, Lindow reinvented painting with his special relationship to the image and to the question of its representation.
