AI, feline companions and classical iconography: Von Wolfe’s new exhibition.
When it comes to subverting traditional art norms, few do it better than Wolfe von Lenkiewicz – also known as Von Wolfe. Renowned for his paintings which expertly combine the use of AI with a Renaissance-fuelled art style, the London-based artist seeks to reinterpret and reimagine standardized fine art processes.
Having previously shown his work in prestigious institutions such as Musée du Quai Branly, Helsinki’s Ateneum Museum and Stockholm’s National Museum, Von Wolfe has just announced his next solo exhibition. Titled Oracle, the artist will display thirteen incredible paintings at the Richard Heller Gallery in California.
Since being featured in Issue 9 of Mission Magazine, Von Wolfe has continued to make waves within the industry. Many artists and creative practitioners currently fear AI and its omnipotent power. But not Von Wolfe. The pioneering artist is the ultimate trailblazer in the industry. He employs AI to create surrealist compositions, which are then carefully translated onto canvas in the form of dreamlike paintings. Applying the same approach to his paintings displayed in Oracle, the new exhibition is guaranteed to encourage viewers to question and interrogate the use of AI in the contemporary world.
Three Cats
by Von Wolfe
Within Oracle, Von Wolfe presents works that analyze the relationship between humans and animals. The result is a series of uncanny compositions displaying felines and canines in positions of guardianship and power. He creates a stark dichotomy juxtaposing these agile animals with sophisticated, well-dressed human counterparts. Through careful contrasts and muted hues, the artist paints a playful mélange between the past, the present and the future.
However, the concept does not stop there. Figures are also seen posing elegantly against a backdrop of magnificent architectural structures. Meanwhile, other paintings depict humans interacting with landscapes somewhat reminiscent of Arizona’s Monument Valley. As a result, the artist has coined the term ‘cultural quantumism’. Von Wolfe intertwines historical elements with tropes of our current zeitgeist to produce pieces that rise above postmodernism’s fragmentary nature.
Appropriately, many now describe Von Wolfe’s work as metamodernist. Over the past few years, metamodernism has gained much traction as a means of describing society’s avoidance of late 20th-century postmodernism. Despite many viewing metamodernism as a reaction to nihilism, deconstruction and various forms of pastiche, the artist uses the term to demonstrate his fascination with marrying the past to the present. From Leonardo da Vinci to Disney, the artist utilizes pop cultural elements to ground his work in an estranged reality.
The new exhibition is a brilliant way to gather more insight into the artist’s distinctive approach. There are not many out there who can effortlessly weave cultural prowess, a progressive attitude and equally incredible technique into their work. Yet Von Wolfe does just that.
Oracle will run from 17th February to 23rd of March. For more information, visit here. Homepage painting titled “Reflective Grace Installation.” Black and white homepage image of Von Wolfe in studio, image courtesy of the artist. Above image left, “Mesa Sentinel,” and right “The Guardians Gaze.”
