Two faces in profile, back to back, and above them a single watchful eye: in REMED's paintings, opposites meet and together form a whole. Light and dark, warm and cool, inside and outside, reason and emotion.
Two Sides of a Whole
Duality is the guiding theme of this exhibition. REMED sets forms and colours, figures and symbols against one another in such a way that they mirror, complement and support each other. Clear geometric planes in strong, saturated colours meet stylised human profiles, circles meet triangles, black meets luminous yellow and orange. His paintings get straight to the point, full of the spirit of the times and yet timeless.
A Leap Through Four Decades
REMED draws on the graphic styles of the 1970s, the "New Image" of the 1980s, typography and graffiti, shaping them into a visual language entirely his own. Like a leap through time, his paintings span the imagery of the past forty years, without ever feeling nostalgic.
From Lille to Madrid
France has long been fertile ground for exceptional street art and graffiti styles. So it is no surprise that the work of French urban artist REMED is surprisingly different and refreshing. Born in Lille in northern France in 1978, he first discovered painting in a studio in his hometown. But he was soon drawn to the streets: he wanted to overcome the limits of the studio and show his work. With stickers and spray paint, he carried his ideas and messages into urban space. Since the mid-2000s, REMED has lived and worked in Madrid. His artist name says it all: it derives from the French phrase l'art comme remède, art as a remedy.
In Demand Across Europe
His works and murals have been featured in numerous publications on street art. REMED is currently one of the most sought-after urban artists: this year alone, his work has already been shown at the Carhartt Gallery in Madrid, at Avia Pervia in Bologna and at the Pure Evil Gallery in London. With Duality, he now comes to Pretty Portal in Düsseldorf.
"Duality"
REMED
Opening
Friday, 22 October 2010
Exhibition
22 October – 19 November 2010
Pretty Portal
Brunnenstraße 12
40223 Düsseldorf
