Robbie von Kampen is pleased to present Note, a solo show of works by Uchercie. The five
paintings included in Note are exploration of language, nature, technology and ambivalence,
where each image represents both more and less than it appears.
Approaching image making from a photographic background, Uchercie engages in world
building where each image conveys a moment in time and space: a robot laying on the ground, a data center engulfed in flames, a car traveling at high speed. The resulting paintings are striking compositions that blend reality with an ambiguous futurism, often pitting styles and concepts against one another.
In Angel Organism Uchercie skillfully renders clouds in both classical and freehand brushstrokes, simultaneously drawing on history and subverting it. The sharp black wings of an angel in flight punctuate the center of the composition. As with the contrasting painting styles, an angel’s flight is at once a primitive and highly advanced means of mobility.
This tension hints at a greater curiosity about the relationship between technology and the natural world. As technological progress accelerates, like a car speeding towards an unknown
destination, what becomes of the natural world that has invariably facilitated the acceleration?
Perhaps above all the images are highly secretive; they are devoid of an obvious sense of place, or direct references to culture, time, or history. Many conclusions that could be drawn are speculative. They could depict the future, or simply be scenes from a video game. The shadowy expanse in Cybernetic Syntax in Limbo neatly nods to the ambiguity in these works – what lies beyond those shadows? Perhaps it is simply the metaphysical.
Uchercie (b. 1993 Jiangxi, China) lives and works in London and holds an MFA from Goldsmiths, University of London.
