Hybrids

Martin Kozlowski

Info: In the realm of painterly language, gestural marks are said to demonstrate the physical presence of their author and sometimes offer glimpses of an emotional state. By contrast, the grounds upon which these bursts of activity unfold usually receive less critical attention. This convention implies that positive assertions activate a passive container. Martin Kozlowski uses this inherited dichotomy against itself, rendering quietly complex spaces in which no element is passive. While the works appear to follow a graphic logic — lighter shapes amid noticeably darker fields — this impression of stability quickly evaporates. As we confront his canvases, it becomes clear that the gaps and pauses between forms are not silent spaces. Passages that at first appeared subdued soon become powerful forces dominating the space around them. These inversions call into question our habits of perception and the certainty of our judgements. The energy of these compositions comes from the active entanglement of the entire surface. By collapsing the distinction between signal and noise, Kozlowski’s work demands that we grapple with the full spectrum of his vision. (…)