SCOOTER LAFORGE . Creation of the Animals
Scooter LaForge is an unapologetical iconoclast whose work has always shown the painter's passions and obsessions, to the point of chaos. By creating a pictorial space, infused with humor and theatricality, he has built himself a colorful universe. Whether clowns, demons, angels or horses, all have been a part of a roving cast of subliminal characters in the artist's ongoing drama of humankind. Something he never hesitates to show on his canvases.
LaForge's openness to new impressions and ideas manifests itself into a rich , eclectic language of images, forms and colors. The self-assurance in employing his vocabulary not only demonstrates that he knows how to redevelop and expand his work in new ways but also that he challenges the viewer to process information in a new way, consider items for their shape or placement and jarring associations from what is normal to what might be seen anew.
Upon seeing Jacopo Tintoretto's Creation of the Animals (1551-1552) at the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, LaForge became truly inspired. Tintoretto himself had been inspired by Titian's Bacchus and Ariadne (1522-1523) and used it as a model for the composition of his Creation of the Animals (1551-1552). Driven to explore the theme of creation, LaForge let himself be guided by the subject matter, which ultimately resulted in three completely uninhibited paintings that are LaForge's spirited re-interpretation of the story of Genesis.
Painted with reckless abandon, Creation of the Animals shows the artist's work in all its complexity. There are no explanations in the paintings and yet, there are constants which make it possible to get a glimpse at the complexity LaForge embodies. A pictorial oeuvre is revealed , which is never random and therefore can encompass the vocabulary of the old masters along the artist's 21 st-century visual narrative.
LaForge's painterly world dwells in the imagination and sneaks out as a surprising backdrop for the contemplation of creation. This is presented from a contemporary point of view, with irony, humor and Mannerist tropes like lavish decoration, and exaggerated forms. The details of the canvas reveal a combination of dissimilar, contrasting elements that force us to stop and penetrate a labyrinthine, confused, enigmatic space.
Scooter LaForge's work has been exhibited internationally, The Creation of the Animals exhibition is a collaboration between Howl! Happening and Empirical Nonsense, hlghllghtmg the Importance of Howl! Happening within NYC's art community. LaForge's second exhibition with Howl! Happening will take place in February 2019.