More than meets the eye

Stefan Annerel’s new exhibition is a deceptive mix of simplicity and splendour

Photographic reproductions, such as you see on this page, don’t do Stefan Annerel’s work justice. Sure, pictures capture the vibrant colours and intricate structure, but these are works that have to be encountered face-toface to truly appreciate their dazzling beauty and hidden depths. For lack of a better word, they have to be experienced.

Four years ago, the Antwerp-based painter accidently discovered a technique that would make his work and career blossom. “Adding resin to my works made them very glossy and, hence, tactile. It transforms the multiple layers and colours and adds an entirely new dimension,” he tells me at the opening of his new show Counterchange in Antwerp’s Kusseneers Gallery.

The first thing that strikes you about Annerel’s works is indeed their unexpected gloss, which

is complimented by rich colours and bold, constructivist patterns. They exude sumptuous sophistication despite seeming quite simple. Take a closer look, and you find that this isn’t our average two-dimensional canvas. Annerel work is in multiple layers, turned into a whole due to the resin. They beg to be viewed from different angles; new aspects are revealed, luring you deeper into each painting and into the wonder of their creation.

Annerel’s technique is exceptional. “I get myinspiration from advertisements in magazines,

pieces of fabric, even very trivial things like the typical pattern of the bag that most people carry

their laundry to the launderette in,” he explains. “I extract a piece, take it out of its original context and create a collage. By adding several layers of paint, paper or plastic on top, I not only

expand its original form but also its colours, creating an illusion of fact and fiction.” Finally, he’s applies the resin to all of the layers. The resin is what is responsible for a contrast that

adds both gloss and an almost tangible depth to the pieces. These two characteristics together make the artist’s work very distinguishable.

“If you stare at something like a detail in a photograph long enough, it detaches itself from its original meaning and gains a whole new one,” Annerel continues. This play on reality is also one of the key features in his work. The mundane titbits that influenced him are not only immortalised but are transformed into an experience reminiscent of a fading memory.

Annerel’s works are like mysteries waiting to be unravelled, but at the same time, any true meaning seems to stay beyond our grasp. The result is an enchanting web of multiple associations. Their titles, however, may help guide you in the right direction.

The title Counterchange refers to a weaving technique that inspired Annerel to create works that incorporate similar patterns. He transforms a figurative element into an abstract masterpiece

with a dash of trompe l’oeil.

Flanders Today February 10 2011