REBECCABRADBURYmeetstheGermanpainter
whohasreinvigoratedclassicalgenresand
spokentoanewgenerationfromhis Ruhrstudio
ABOVEAlpayinhis
Ruhrstudiowith
newpainting,Flare
LEFTPeoniesII,oil
onpanel,40x40cm
ALPAY EFE
A
tigerthrowsbackitshead
toletouta satisfyingyawn,
a glisteningpinktongue
unfurlingfroma fang-guardedjaw.
Thereis,ofcourse,nothingpeculiar
abouta wildanimalinneedofa rest,
butthisfelinewithitsflame-coloured
furandcoalblackstripesis made
ratherconspicuousbyitssurrounds
- thedrabgreycorridorofa dusty
museumwitha centuries-oldtapestry
hangingonthewall.
Theideabehindtheeye-catching
juxtapositioncametoAlpayEfelast
yearwhenhespottedsomephotos
onlineofthreelittleHumboldt
penguinsfromKansasCityZoo
waddlingthroughthefineartgalleries
ofthenearbyNelson-AtkinsMuseum
ofArt.Tohelpstopthespreadof
Covid-19,theattractionwasclosedto
humanvisitors,butopentopenguins
apparentlyinneedofsomeartistic
stimulationcourtesyofartistssuch
asCaravaggio,CesariandMonet.
“Itwassointerestingand
fascinatingandbeautifultome
becauseit wassomething
extraordinarythatcouldonlybe
possiblebysomethingvery
unfortunate,”the33-year-oldartist
explains.“I thoughtthiswouldbea
wonderfulseries,especiallyasthese
tworealmsdon’treallyfittogether.
Youdon’treallybringnatureandthe
artificialspacewhereartistspresent
[theirwork]together.”
Plansareunderwaytoaddto
thisFineArtConnoisseurseries.
Theoriginalthreepaintings– two
IN THE STUDIO