All images: 'Total Recall' by Chris Succo at Rod Barton, London; Courtesy Rod Barton, London
The use of pop-culture quotes in a context of art can be misleading: "Total Recall" reminds of Arnold Schwarzenegger (or alternatively Colin Farrell) having his phantasies turned into real memories by a viscous and dystopian company. "Total Recall" is also the title of Chris Succo's current solo exhibition and its probably the smallest retrospective that the artist will ever show. Three large works, all kept in black and white tones, fill the small gallery space of Rod Barton in London Islington. The German artist Chris Succo combines text, quotes and art to provoke a convenient imbalance. While keeping his works in mostly strict patterns of minimalist working series, the titles play and challenge with the visual severity. He told us a bit a about his thoughts on the show in a small interview:
Anna-Lena Werner: "Total Recall", the title of your show, suggests a retrospective reading of the exhibition. Was it your intention to give an overview of your latest work?
Chris Succo: It's more like a manual really. The intimacy of the space lend to bringing the different series together and to show that they're all coming from the same place.
Anna: You combine examples of three different series, representing one picture of each. Where do you see the connection between the singular works?
Chris: The connection is less important to me than the right balance of differences. May main concern is making a show for a certain gallery or space coherent and enjoyable.
Anna: While your paintings are very minimalist, your photography has a documentary character. The center of your photograph "Higher Education" shows a glass of beer with obvious fingerprints. Is there a link between the fingerprints on the photo and the fact that the white painting "Jet Fueled Harmony", which hangs opposite to it, shows the paint as you formed it (seemingly with your hands) on the canvas?
Chris: Yeah, I like you mentioning the link between the fingerprints and the paintings. It was quite easy to select this particular work for the show. For me the photographs are like the other works. They just use a different medium. I take them for image memory and attitude reference as I'm really bad in remembering stuff. But for me they don't have a documentary approach at all.
Anna: The haptic element is completely withdrawn from the third work, which represents your “Nu Era" painting. From a distance it seems like every human trace is vanished...
Chris: Their surface is not as pristine as it appears. You can see the brushstrokes, inaccuracies and how they're done. They're like bad lacquered cars.
Anna: Do you experience your works as calming or unsettling?
Chris: They're calmingly unsettling and unsettlingly calming.
Anna: Whats next on your agenda?
Chris: I already started working for some shows next year. There's a group show in Italy coming up as well as a solo show
in Berlin and my first solo show in New York.
TOTAL RECALL
Chris Succo
13th September - 20th October, 2013
One Paget Street
London EC1V 7PA
All images: 'Total Recall' by Chris Succo at Rod Barton, London; Courtesy Rod Barton, London