LUMIR HLADIK – “PINING IN WHITE”, JUNE 3 – JUNE 11, 2014
Elements and methods used: native (Canadian) beaver pelt stretchers, rope, vintage horse bit, cedar wood knot, steel pipe, vintage wallpaper, acrylic paint and gauze. ‘Pining in White’ is the third installation piece of Lumir Hladik presented by corridor213, following the display of “The Great White” in January 2014.Yet another dark and puzzling sequel of his VANITAS series, this new installation consists of “treated” ready-mades, natural elements and objects collected from across both wild and urban Ontario. We cannot help but associate the beaver stretchers with the proverbial vintage portraits of HIM and HER (tastefully presented in identical oval frames), removed from their original place of honour, temporarily suspended in time, in a transient position, now awaiting their fate and about to be discarded. They seem to resonate distantly with H.CH. Andersen’s fairytale titled “Everything in the right place”… do we see a toy canon on the floor, is it a flute? Is it an erection or a penetration?
In his installation art, using deteriorated and vintage objects, Lumir Hladik explores a new facet of the disrespect for death theme that animates his work. His new installations are referred to as a contemporary version of Vanitas, the symbolic art form originated in 16th century Holland. Hladik claims, “The lack of respect for death is killing life”.
