Stephen Brandes b. 1966

THE UNDERLYING THEME OF THIS WORK CONSIDERS THE LEGACIES OF EUROPEAN HISTORY, BY VIEWING HUMAN ENDEAVOR WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE AND THE CONSTRUCTED WORLD FROM OBLIQUE CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES. IT IS FUELED BY AN INTEREST IN HOW VISUAL AND PICTORIAL LANGUAGES FROM THE RECENT PAST HAVE BEEN ADOPTED WITHIN PARTICULAR SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, FROM THE AVANT-GARDES AND TOTALITARIAN AESTHETICS OF THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY TO THE GRAPHIC SENSIBILITIES OF MORE RECENT YEARS. THESE ARE OFTEN PUT INTO CONFLICT WITH THE SUBJECT MATTER: THE LANDSCAPES, THE MONUMENTS AND ARCHITECTURE THAT HAVE EVOLVED THROUGHOUT EUROPE OVER THE PAST 400 YEARS.

HIS RE-ENGAGEMENT WITH THIS MATERIAL IS NOT OUT OF NOSTALGIA, BUT RATHER FOR THE PURPOSE OF MISAPPROPRIATION, IN ORDER TO REINVEST FRESH MEANING TO THESE SUBJECTS. THE CHALLENGE IS TO CREATE OBJECTS AND IMAGES THAT PRESENT ALTERNATIVE VIEWS TO COMMONLY ACCEPTED STANDARDS OF BEAUTY AND AUTHORITY. IT ALSO ATTEMPTS TO CONSIDER OUR SHARED HISTORIES AND FUTURE WITH A MEASURED MIXTURE OF POIGNANCY AND HUMOUR.