Creation and destruction seems to be the theme of Bartosz Beda’s show, ‘Blast of Absolute (passing through a narrow defile)’. Currently, it is up at Bogotá Arte Contemporáneo Gallery of Bogotá, Columbia, where it will be available for viewing until January 9th, 2015th. The space is large and comfortably filled with the paintings of Bartisz Beda. The show consists of an impressive 53 artworks and 2 videos. The way that the paintings are placed around the gallery feels very intentional. Some are raised higher on the walls and some lower; a few so low that the viewer must look down on or even bend down, which creates an interesting interaction with the work. The result is a show that pulls the viewer in, creating an engaging and thought-provoking experience.
Beda’s work is composed of built-up paint and carefully rendered faces or objects which are intentionally marred and fragmented. The surfaces he paints on changes for each piece, from paper to canvas to sheet metal; it depends on the painting. His medium of choice is oil paint. Working wet on wet, he allows the paint to mix on the surface and build up very thick in some places, while allowing the surface to peek through in others. The subject matter is both representational and abstracted; first the subject is painted and then parts are removed or altered. The subject matter uses historical, biblical, and well-known people, religious objects, and his own likeness to explore ideas of human expression, feelings, and self. In the center of the room is a sculptural display of thirty small paintings, cascading down a pillar. It is a collection of marks made while Beda was working on this show. The installation speaks about reuse and recycling and the idea of putting effort into keeping the earth clean. The paintings along the walls are set in groups, each group illustrates a concept the Beda works with. In the painting Heal Thyself I Beda uses the image of a dictionary and St. Peter to explore the human intentions: its transformations and subsequent fears .
The artist, Bartosz Beda is originally from Lodz, Poland. He earned his BA and MFA in the United Kingdom and has spent six months in Germany with a scholarship residency, dedicated to developing his artwork. Beda currently lives in the United States where he is continuing to push and explore his ideas with his paintings.
‘Blast of Absolute (passing through a narrow defile)’will be shown from November 26 to January 9th 2015 as part of the gallery’s international program. Bogotá Arte Contemporáneo Gallery is a gallery space dedicated to the showing of Columbian and international contemporary art. www.bogotartecontemporaneo.com