A Fascination with the Mundane: The Work of Gábor André
There is something to be said for those who are fascinated by the mundane. To have the ability to translate this fascination into art for others to enjoy is nothing short of a gift.
Gábor André has this gift.
Born in Budapest and currently based in London, André uses phtography and illustration to explore everyday landscapes. Hockney-pop colours and compositions of near desolation make the mundane subject anything but.
André studied Product design at Moholy-Nagy University of Arts and Design and spent time at Plymouth College. He has had a handful of exhibitions in Budapest, mostly at Ruin Bars ('rom kocsma' in Hungarian) as well as curating works for private collectors, small theatres and hostels. Photography has been a passion of Gábor since he was a child; stemming from his father's love of the art, he grew up surrounded by cameras. Although his present obsession is 35mm film, Gábor admits that for him "the idea chooses the technique." With a background in many fields - product design, graphic design and architecture - it makes sense why André describes his own work as "eclectic."
When talking about his inspirations Gábor André explains it best in his own words: "I participated in theatrical projects and have a major crush on literature that is why my painting is about context - it circulates around ideas, stories, gags. Lately my focus is on the relationship of memories and space, my recent paintings are trying to resolve questions of gender representation, the ethics of landscape, the place of the individual in physical and metaphorical space."
With negative space treated with pop colours or a dusting of darker details, Gábor André successfully turns the everyday into art.
To see more of Gábor André's work visit: gabrielpaints.tumblr.com or instagram.com/pepitoandre/