In the Alphabet of Creation (for now) series, Mesler depicts individual letters from the alphabet in a unique, decorative style reminiscent of illustrations in children’s books. Through satirical texts, Mesler hints at fundamental moments in his life.
The snake is a recurring motif in Mesler’s alphabet paintings. Often coloured dark red with a white diamond pattern, Mesler’s snakes weave around an array of dense green foliage to portray individual letters. The leaves evoke the iconic Martinique wallpaper at the Beverly Hills Hotel, a place which brings up intense childhood memories for Mesler.
The Alphabet of Creation (for now) works are made using pigments on raw linen. Expressive line drawings of hands, faces, and text often feature alongside the snakes and foliage, to create a distinct visual language suggestive of Mesler’s commentary on his multiple roles as artist, art dealer, and father.
Untitled (Hopes and Dreams)
Untitled (Hopes and Dreams) (2019) is another painting inspired by the Beverley Hills Hotel’s Martinique wallpaper. Akin to The Alphabet of Creation (for now), Untitled (Hopes and Dreams) depicts banana leaves silhouetted against a vivid sunset background, with the phrase, ‘Hopes & Dreams’ illuminating the canvas.
In the Beginning
In his 2021 exhibition, In the Beginning, Mesler presents a series of his iconic banana leaves alongside tropical scenes of wild animals and plants. Graphic illustrations of animals camouflaged by fauna and drinking from rivers loosely recall the paintings of 19th century French artists Henri Rousseau and Paul Gauguin.
Mesler’s pattern-based paintings are overlaid with inspirational phrases such as ‘you deserve great things’, and ‘you are never alone’. The artist describes how his parents would say such phrases to him as a child at bedtime. After falling asleep, Mesler would dream of exotic landscapes featuring details of his parents’ goodnight farewells.
In the Beginning depicts the various dreamscapes Mesler imagined as a child. The surreal backdrop of the tropical jungle, along with images of whisky glasses, disco balls, and inspirational quotes, together present an enigmatic new body of work.
