May 13 - June 11


I am fascinated by how little we manage to learn from history as we go through time, how much we repeat our sins again and again and again. And yet, every new day is perfectly whole and beautiful children are born to us and placed within our care. I wish that my work makes you stop and consider the eternal grace of beauty that manages to withstand and triumph over all that we do to destroy it.
Margaret Bowland, 2016

 

Magt, ulighed og undertrykkelse er blot et udsnit af de temaer, der står øverst på dagsordenen, når Gallery Poulsen åbner døren til Margaret Bowlands første soloudstilling i Danmark og serverer en lille bid af New Yorks pulserende kunstscene. Det er fængslende portrætter af iscenesatte menneskeskæbner, der møder os i udstillingen ”Power”. Med sine dramatiske barokke udtryk og fuldstændigt enestående talent er Margaret Bowland intet mindre end en showstopper!

 

Bowland arbejder med et imponerende overblik, når hun på lærred skaber menneskefortællinger på tværs af tid og kulturer. Hovedpersonerne til sine værker finder hun i sit eget liv eller på sin færden rundt i New York City. De indtager lærredet som en skuespiller på et filmset, mens Bowland med kyndig hånd iscenesætter konfliktfyldte scenarier og konstruerer portrætter af uskyldige, unge individer, der forsøger at navigere i en verden, de ikke selv har skabt.

 

Deres dramatiske makeup og beklædning bevidner om en tidsrejse, hvor Bowland bevæger sig gennem vidtstrakte tidsperioder, der spænder helt fra det tidlige Deccan-plateau i Indien over europæiske renæssancemalerier frem til nutidens modemagasiner. Dette kombineret med et kunstnerisk håndværk fra en nærmest svunden tid, mestrer Bowland ubesværet at gennemsyre det klassiske maleri med politisk og hierarkisk symbolik.

 

Udstillingen ”Power” indbyder til refleksion over det enkelte værks personlige fortælling. Værker som ”One Child”, ”Gilt” og ”Dust Up” skildrer tydeligt tvetydige konflikter og glemte fortællinger. Bowland er absolut ikke tilbageholdende med at påpege sociale uligheder eller underliggende magtstrukturer, når hun mesterligt fremmaner skæbnesvangre billeder på en baggrund af magtfulde symboler. Den smukke, kinesiske pige i ”One Child” befinder sig omgivet af pengesedler, maskeret som smukke blomster og sommerfugle. Men som et tveægget sværd beretter dollarsedlerne og de kinesiske Yuan om et forladt barn, der under Maos etbarnspolitik sendes bort til et nyt liv i en amerikansk overflod af velstand.

 

 

Glæd jer til at opleve Margaret Bowlands tryllebindende og kontrastfyldte mesterværker af fuldstændig enestående kaliber!

 

”Power” er Bowlands første soloudstilling hos Gallery Poulsen og tæller seks oliemalerier på lærred.

Margaret Bowland vil være til stede til ferniseringen og tilgængelig for interviews.
Kontakt galleriet på [email protected] eller tlf. + 45 33 33 93 96 for nærmere information.

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I am fascinated by how little we manage to learn from history as we go through time, how much we repeat our sins again and again and again. And yet, every new day is perfectly whole and beautiful children are born to us and placed within our care. I wish that my work makes you stop and consider the eternal grace of beauty that manages to withstand and triumph over all that we do to destroy it.

Margaret Bowland, 2016

 

Power, inequality and oppression are just a few of the topics on the agenda, when Gallery Poulsen opens the door to Margaret Bowland’s first solo exhibition in Denmark and serves a slice of New York's vibrant art scene. Captivating portraits of staged human destinies meet us in the exhibition "Power". With her dramatic baroque expression and astonishing unique talent Margaret Bowland is nothing short of a showstopper!

 

Bowland works with an impressive overview when she on canvas creates human stories across time and cultures. The protagonists in her work are found among people in her own life or on her whereabouts around New York City. They step into the canvas as an actor on a film set, while Bowland skillfully stages scenarios of conflict and constructs portraits of innocent, young individuals, attempting to navigate in a world they did not create.

 

Their dramatic makeup and clothing clearly indicates a time travel, leading Bowland through vast periods of time, from the early Deccan plateau of India, to post Renaissance European painting, to today’s fashion magazine spreads. This, combined with an artistic craft from an almost bygone era, Bowland effortlessly masters to imbue classical painting with political and hierarchical symbolism.

 

The exhibition ”Power” invites you to reflect on each work's personal narrative. Paintings such as "One Child", "Gilt" and "Dust Up" clearly depict ambiguous conflicts and forgotten stories. Bowland is absolutely not hesitant to point out social inequalities or underlying power structures, as she evokes fateful images on a background of powerful symbols. The beautiful Chinese girl in "One Child" is surrounded by money bills masquerading as beautiful flowers and butterflies. But as a double-edged sword, the dollar bills and Chinese Yuan recount the destiny of an abandoned child during Mao's one-child policy, who is sent away to a new life in an American abundance of prosperity.

 

 

Bowland's mesmerizing masterpieces of utterly unique caliber is definitely something to look forward to!

 

"Power" is Margaret Bowland’s first solo exhibition at Gallery Poulsen and counts six oil paintings on canvas and linen.

Margaret Bowland will be present at the opening and available for interviews.
Contact the gallery on [email protected] or tel. + 45 33 33 93 96 for further information.

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