"SERENDIPITY" - 522 West 19th Street, New York

Slag & RX is pleased to announce Serendipity the first solo exhibition of work by the painter Axel Geis at the gallery. The show features a selection from Geis' most recent paintings.

The beauty of Geis' work lies in an unpredictable juxtaposition of loose, expressive brush strokes and precisely painted figures, resulting in an aura of mystery that inhabits each painting. The protagonists are rarely whole, either masked in anonymity or chafed out, seemingly floating on the picture frame like phantoms in a vision. Taking references from film and newspaper, Geis disjoints the characters from their habitual environment and imports them into a foggy land of defined and expressive brushstrokes, creating paintings that feel like a memory materialized.

The drapery of a dress and the shine of a torero costume are the few glimpses of the context that lies beneath the surface of the painting. The characters are familiar, but their surroundings are out of reach, except for a chance name or recognizable costume. What matters most to Geis is the mark and the appearance of color, its thickness, fluidity, translucency, opaqueness, and brilliance. With complete control of his brush, Geis perfectly articulates the subject where needed while leaving the rest ostensibly undone. The result is an engaged and meticulously layered timeless and nostalgic composition.