Robert Fry
INFORMATION
The nude male body is often in the centre of the paintings and etchings by Robert Fry. However, Fry does not stop at the reflection of his gender but raises the matter on a meta-level: Gender relations and the intensely dynamic relationship between the individual and his counterpart are investigated. For example, the subject of ‘manliness ‘is further developed in his new series ‘Related’: A series of paintings deals with the inevitable complexity of the father-son relationship and examines and deconstructs the physical and emotional subtleties of this particular connection.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Painting Forever!—under this motto, leading contemporary art institutions in Berlin examined the state of contemporary painting during Art Week 2013. Beginning on 7 September, with the London-based painter Robert Fry (b. 1980), Galerie Kornfeld presents a painterly position from the UK, expanding and contrasting current debates on the subject.
The nude male body is often at the centre of Robert Fry’s paintings and etchings. However, Fry does not confine himself to reflecting on his own gender, but elevates the subject to a meta level, investigating gender relations and the intensely dynamic relationship between the individual and their counterpart. In his new series Related, Fry further develops the theme of “manliness.” This body of paintings addresses the inevitable complexity of the father–son relationship, examining and deconstructing the physical and emotional subtleties of this bond.
In articulating these themes, Fry has developed a distinctive visual language that can be seen as a continuation of the intellectual and stylistic legacy of Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud. The dark, monochrome backgrounds from which his figures emerge evoke an atmosphere that is both archaic and modern. His protagonists appear to float in an indefinable space, surrounded by a mystical aura. Equipped with phallic and other iconographic symbols, Fry’s figures lead viewers on a journey through art history.
Here, Fry addresses the painterly challenge of representing the figure in space through the use of diverse materials and the structures created by the application of paint. In confronting questions of ancestry, heritage and the future of human existence, the artist ultimately engages with the philosophical question of what it means to be human.
Robert Fry began his career at a time when painting in Britain was widely declared obsolete, while media such as video and installation art were gaining prominence. Today, he is regarded as one of the most promising representatives of the new generation of British artists. Fry was nominated for the prestigious John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize. His works have been exhibited at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and in galleries in Los Angeles, Moscow and London. He is represented in major international collections, including the Saatchi Collection and the Museum of Modern Art Moscow.
The artist lives and works in London.
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue published for the opening. Print-quality images are available on request.
For any questions or further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
With warm regards,
Hannah Linder