Slow Motion: Ambiguous Forms and Meanings

The Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Paris presents the solo exhibition Slow Motion with 19 new and recent works by Dutch artist Aldo Bakker for the first time in France. Crossing the boundaries between art and design, the objects slowly reveal their ambiguous forms and meaning as each one has its own character and singular appearance. Through sketching and modeling Bakker tries to unravel the logic behind a form that has to be independent, free of expectation and discipline. The possible role gradually becomes clear, whether it offers a place to sit or to lean, to drink from or the pour out, to look at or to caress.

The artist seduces the viewer to take their time, to carefully observe the specific curves, contours, weight, and edges, and to build a rapport with the works. By slowing down this process of “seeing”, Aldo creates a dialogue between the object and viewer. It is through this interaction the viewer’s perception can shift, allowing form, material, and the possibility of function to manifest.

Made of quartzite, marble, red travertine, green onyx, dark pietra basaltina, aluminum, wood, gold, silver, or colorful urushi, each work has its own color, direction and pattern. The form is especially emphasized and perfected through the urushi with its rich sandy surface. The transformative and rarely-used Japanese lacquer is an age-old beautiful material applied in a delicate process of layer upon layer. This time-consuming and labor-intensive practice is also unique in how it preserves objects, making them stronger and more solid and the color more vibrant as it ages. Bakker’s ten stone works contrast to the urushi pieces with their strength and weight.

Bakker comments: “I start with an appreciation of elements to create a shape – an object that emerges from the combination of elements, becomes an entity, that slowly demands and starts to inform the process of creation. I want my objects to feel at ease. If there is room for a function, it is integrated. The presence of a straight line could indicate a table, yet the straight line is at the first part of other elements, lines, and planes. What looks like a table speaks about what a table could be, but it also reflects on the choreography of verticality vs. the horizontal. The equilibrium it creates is as captivating as a tightrope walk between two skyscrapers. A balancing act.”

Julien Lombrail, Co-founder of Carpenters Workshop Gallery comments: “We’re delighted to continue our collaboration with Aldo whose works embody our vision at Carpenters Workshop Gallery of crossing boundaries between art and design, form and function. Each piece is individual and demands the attention of an artwork. ‘Slow Motion’ feels more timely as ever as we have learned to slow down and found a new appreciation for deceleration.”

The solo-exhibition Slow Motion will be on show until 18th of Decembre 2020 at Carpenters Gallery in Paris.