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In
his first New York solo show, Russian artist Andreï
Molodkin puts blue ballpoint Bics to linen, bringing
his humble instrument of choice to bear on the iconic
pictogram that appears, most famously, in the "I
[HEART] NY" design: In this and other phrases,
he replaces the symbol of love with a skull and
crossbones. Wielding his pen alternately as a drawing
tool and as a brush, Molodkin creates layered fields
of blue edged with looped markings and swarms of
scribbles. His capital letters, formed out of white
negative space and with proportional markings lightly
diagrammed inside, have the stately architectural
presence of Doric columns inscribed on a blueprint.
While the canvases and studies that comprise the
bulk of this exhibition would be a bit thin on their
own, the inclusion of several canvases from Molodkin's
2001 show at Hildebrand's Geneva galleryworks
that slyly consider Soviet military strength through
a conjoining of Socialist Realist imagery, grand
architecture, and Neoclassical stylingconfirms
the artist's aim and deepens his critique.
Nicole Rudick
Art
Forum Website
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