The artist Charles Fréger has some
interesting pieces in the Yossi Milo Gallery. The one that first caught my
attention is titled “Caretos, Lazarim, Portugal.” This piece depicts a person
wearing some sort of beastly mask, most likely that of a deer or antelope. The
clothes are covered with what appears to be red strings of confetti. The
background of the work caught my attention immediately. This person is standing
on a hilly terrain, with fog dominating most of the piece. The contrast between
the red and white makes the image stand out. I would purchase this piece of
artwork since it stimulates my mind and is aesthetically beautiful. Another
work by Fréger that caught my attention is titled “Perchten, Werfen, Austria.”
This piece depicts a person wearing some sort of leather cloak, with leather
ears protruding from the head. There is a cowbell placed on the person’s chest.
This piece is quite interesting to me because of the location. The person,
rather beast, is situated in a winter wonderland. Both the sky and the ground
are white, and it would be difficult to distinguish one from the other without
the horizon line of trees in the background. Charles Fréger’s works are both
creative and interesting. His pieces seem to drive at something about human
displacement of animals from their natural habitats. I hold these works in high
regard and would purchase them not only for the ability to hang them in my
home, but for the reason that they highlight a very interesting subject. As the
environment is ever changed by human interaction, I believe Fréger’s works to
become more popular and valuable.
The artist Zhang Xiaogang is
featured at the Pace Gallery. At first glance, I had neither a positive or
negative reaction to his work. Usually, I will disregard anything unpleasing to
my eye and cast it from memory. However, as I examined his works, I found
myself interested in his pieces. The interest was not born out of ideal
conditions—I did not want to purchase his work, unfortunately for him. Rather, I
was surprised about the personality he put into his work. For example, his
piece titled “The Position of My Father” is revealing of how he perceived his
father as a baby. Although the painting comes from a place of strong emotions,
it does not resonate with me. Therefore, I would not feel comfortable
purchasing a work which I find unattractive and possessing a strange subject
matter. The second piece which caught my attention is titled “Boy No. 1.” This
piece is a bronze sculpture of an Asian boy. Usually, when a sculpture is
created, it is to reference someone of great accomplishment. However, this
piece goes against the grain, not even mentioning what the name of the boy was.
Although this notion of sculpting is interesting to me, I would not want to
purchase such a work. I find the piece to be unpleasing to look at because of
the colors Xiaogang used in painting the bronze.
Charles Fréger
"Caretos, Lazarim, Portugal"
Inkjet Print
2010-2011
Charles Fréger
"Perchten, Werfen, Austria"
Inkjet Print
2010-2011
Zhang Xiaogang
“The Position of My Father”
Oil on Canvas
2013
Zhang Xiaogang
“Boy No. 1”
Painted Bronze
2012
