Spotlight: Projective Eye Gallery Presents Andreas Bechtler, The Artist
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Andreas Bechtler is a well-known cultural force both locally and internationally as the generous patron behind the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, home to his family’s collection of more than 1,400 artworks created by major figures of 20th-century modernism. Andreas Bechtler, the Artist is an exhibition of his own work.
Bechtler has been working prolifically since he was a teenager in Switzerland, where he had his first solo exhibition at 16. Originally an abstract painter, he took to the language of texture, color, and form very easily, and this continued in his photographic works, which make no apology for their digital manipulation. The Projective Eye Gallery is proud to present an exhibition concentrating on three bodies of work that Andreas Bechtler, the Artist has created during the past ten years: his landscapes, figurine works, and self-portraits.
Bechtler uses nature and selective focus as tools to build a psychological dreamscape that is often rife with sexual innuendo. By moving the camera with an open shutter, he creates smears of vibrant color that leap across the picture plane. Tiny figurines are placed in eroticized "found" environments. His self-portraits are inquisitive, a fusion of the self with the setting, rather than overt self-declarations.
The opening of this exhibition featured the first concert in the Fresh Ink new music series for the 2012/13 year. Fresh Ink focuses on the music of living composers who draw from contemporary ideas and an eclectic sound world to create works that forecast an exciting new direction for concert music. On this program, percussionist Scott Christian performed with special guest cellist Tanja Bechtler, daughter of Andreas and founder of the Bechtler ensemble. The program included Three Candles, a new composition for cello and marimba by UNC Charlotte Associate Professor John Allemeier.
For more information about Bechtler and his work, watch the video clip below.