William Monk：Psychopomp
Overview
William Monk uses his canvases as portals into another realm, guiding viewers on a journey with neither beginning nor end. Time is suspended within his works. The tension of viewing is engineered through placing repeated patterns in an unrecognizable space, oscillating between reality and illusion. Thin applications of colorful dots form a gauzy curtain that flirts with the promise of leading to a different world. Are we stepping into the artist’s subconscious, or are we being ferried to the underworld by Charon, the psychopomp from Ancient Greek mythology?
The exhibition showcases several series of paintings created by William Monk between 2019 and 2023. In his The Ferryman series, Monk deconstructs the Beatles’ iconic animated film Yellow Submarine, reincarnating its visual elements as the Ferryman on the mythic River Styx. Following these enigmatic figures, we step into spaces activated by the Smoke Ring Mountain and Son of Nowhere series. Minimalist pillars and geometric mountains strip the scene of any narrative, inviting viewers to pause and ponder. Also on display are the tondo series Nova (deadeye) and Son (return), commanding the center of the exhibition space. The inward strokes of paint pull the viewers’ gaze into an apex of light or darkness, as if summoning us towards realms beyond.
Monk’s figures and landscapes harness the latency of fiction without offering concrete narratives. As viewers attempt to decipher the visual symbols in his works, they embark on a contemplative journey through He Art Museum’s curved architecture, exploring the mysterious tension between life and what remains to be known.
The exhibition showcases several series of paintings created by William Monk between 2019 and 2023. In his The Ferryman series, Monk deconstructs the Beatles’ iconic animated film Yellow Submarine, reincarnating its visual elements as the Ferryman on the mythic River Styx. Following these enigmatic figures, we step into spaces activated by the Smoke Ring Mountain and Son of Nowhere series. Minimalist pillars and geometric mountains strip the scene of any narrative, inviting viewers to pause and ponder. Also on display are the tondo series Nova (deadeye) and Son (return), commanding the center of the exhibition space. The inward strokes of paint pull the viewers’ gaze into an apex of light or darkness, as if summoning us towards realms beyond.
Monk’s figures and landscapes harness the latency of fiction without offering concrete narratives. As viewers attempt to decipher the visual symbols in his works, they embark on a contemplative journey through He Art Museum’s curved architecture, exploring the mysterious tension between life and what remains to be known.