“Drawings From The Hand, 2015”, copyright Asger Carlsen, image courtesy of DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin
The work of Danish-born artist Asger Carlsen is a relatively irreverent take on photography. Bodies are bent and contorted through studied post-processing, and scratch at the border of anthropomorphic figuration and abstract form. Originally a photojournalist – and, for a brief stint, a crime scene photographer – in Denmark, Carlsen moved to New York to work as a commercial photographer. The mementos from this time shopping shots to ad agencies linger in some of his most famous works: his photo-series entitled “WRONG”, for example, took full advantage of the high-flash and high-contrast aesthetics that brands have since grown to expect.
“DRAWINGS FROM THE HAND”, Carlsen’s second solo show at Berlin’s DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, sees the artist breaking new ground in his deeply textured explorations of his surroundings. Hanging on one wall is a series of paintings in which Carlsen marbled together images of his bathroom’s linoleum, then lightly sketching his profile amongst the watery colors; the overall effect is similar to a Renaissance master painting silhouettes in a Spanish stucco. They’re set against slightly larger photomanipulations in which Carlsen has merged photographs of his apartment with self-portraits, then carefully shading the patchwork surfaces to create hypothetical rendered sculptures within the photographic frame. The textures are distinctly earthy at times and fleshy at others, and are set against familiar studio backgrounds. In both the sculptural and sketch-like renderings, there’s a sense of the unfinished: colors stain outside of the borders and bleed in unfamiliar shapes; stray marks and folds are yet to be cropped or Photoshopped from the backdrops.
Marble Drawing, 2015, copyright Asger Carlsen, image courtesy of DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin
It’s a jarring contrast from the sculptural centrepiece of “DRAWINGS FROM THE HAND“: atop a pedestal raised nearly to eye-level is a 3D print-out coated in metallic car paint. One half of the sculpture is a semi-spheric stand; the other side resembles a realised sculpture drafted in the aforementioned photomontages–or are the reflective curves and divots simply a prototype of the textured renderings? The directionality is undecided, but the relationship exists regardless. “DRAWINGS FROM THE HAND” is a further leap into a deeper abstraction of forms and figures, and Sleek spoke to him during his recent visit to Berlin.
“Drawings From The Hand, 2015”, copyright Asger Carlsen, image courtesy of DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin
As you moved more toward the contemporary art world and away from the commercial advertising agencies, what have the stages of your work been? It’s a lengthy journey from working on an ad campaign, to the photomanipulations in “HESTER” and “WRONG”, finally leading to where you have landed with “DRAWINGS FROM THE HAND”.
When I was working for magazines, it was more straightforward. There’s a limit to what you can do, and I always had a habit of trying to over-edit. You can’t edit a press photograph, as it’s against the photojournalist code. You can’t change it.
I was always trying to make edits, though. In choosing the set of images, I was trying to go to the border of what the story was, and escape the obvious stories. I spent a lot of time in post-production and Photoshop. Other people hated it. Especially in the Nineties and the early-2000s, they would outsource their edits to retouching companies. I never did that; I was always interested in the program.
I was also curious about having a studio practice, so I would have people come by and then I would photograph them. The “HESTER” series, for example: A model would come in, and we would have very quick, short photoshoot. These images accumulated into millions of ideas–twenty minutes of shooting could become five different pieces from the “HESTER” series.
“Drawings From The Hand, 2015”, copyright Asger Carlsen, image courtesy of DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin
That’s one of the compelling aspects of “DRAWINGS FROM THE HAND”: There’s an irreverence with regards to the body as an entity, and the body as a body. The body becomes another element in some works, and an end-goal in others. In this show, you’ve also used your body as a source image. Would the series change had you chosen another model?
No–I was just always there. For me, photography is a very immediate process: If I need something, I’ll photograph it, or work with the images that I already have. Especially with the “HESTER” series, one model might have a pronounced spine; someone might have a certain kind of skin or muscles; I worked with a contortionist. These models each had a purpose.
“Drawings From The Hand, 2015”, copyright Asger Carlsen, image courtesy of DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin
The images you’ve presented are all incredibly dense with sources. For the series of “drawings” made from your apartment’s flooring, the arrangements almost approximate portraits–can you talk about these assemblages?
They came from this idea of looking at the floor: You see certain outlines and patterns and profiles as they emerge. They could be abstract forms–with the “HESTER” series, for example, I created the abstract forms. When I looked at my floors, I saw faces.
Interview by Nathan Ma
“DRAWINGS FROM THE HAND” will be on display at DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin untill 22 August 2015
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