David Kordansky Gallery is pleased to announce a solo presentation of new paintings by Calvin Marcus at the inaugural edition of Frieze Seoul. These square compositions zero in on the weeds and tiny leaves that have appeared in so many of his other works, often in the background. Here, they pull focus into obsessive foreground details, emphasising an aspect of nature that is often taken for granted.
The weeds—a relentless emergence of green—thrive despite inhospitable contexts, flourishing atop new backdrops of nothingness. The plants that arise, intricate and bright, appear very much alive, but eerily so.
Though the paintings are exhaustive, Marcus is not trying to recreate nature. Using repetition, motifs, and texture, he sticks to a vernacular and methodically creates his subject matter. This depiction of the ordinary contrasts with the extraordinary, feverish manner by which it is manifested, which appears almost devotional.
David Kordansky Gallery represents these artists: