Lutz
2022
Acrylic, toothbrush, Random Disco Flakes, india ink and pencil on linen canvas
46 x 32 x 5 cm
RT4A2205
Private collection
Courtesy of the artist
Emerging amidst the tumult of the French elections in 2022, the painting initially portrayed a masked taxi driver waiting at an airport, his phone displaying the label ‘Lutz’. The blue mask, the pink hue of the phone screen, the intriguing association with a friend called ‘Lutz’ (MLK), and the contemporary connection with Covid together fostered a form of obsession. However, the work’s execution fell short of expectations. Its sombre tones leaned towards the kitschy and did not quite capture the intended resonance of the two art practices associated with Lutz. Perhaps the political context of the French elections and the chosen palette of blue, pink, black and white contributed to this shortfall.
Adding another kitsch layer, disco flakes from Lutz Bacher’s 2016 edition, Random Disco Flakes, created in conjunction with the Magic Mountain exhibition, were glued atop the illustration. The flakes provided a clue to deciphering the work’s enigma. Their texture on canvas subtly recalled Lutz Bacher’s book series featuring thick kraft paper covers adorned with embossed titles or illustrations. Subsequently, it was bathed in an earthy, kraft hue, and Lutz Bacher’s inaugural book from her series of six, (Smoke) Gets In Your Eyes (2008), became the guiding framework. The final piece evoked the artists Lutz Bacher and MLK much more than the original image did.
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