david breuer-weil: heaven and earth, 2013
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23 Bruton Street, London W1J 6QFTel: +44 (0) 20 7629 0100
5-7 Dover Street, London W1S 4LDT: +44 (0) 20 7287 7750www.alonzakaim.com
david breuer-weil
Wednesday 9th October - Friday 15th November 2013
This exhibition takes place over two venues Earth is on show at E&R Cyzer, 23 Bruton Street, London W1J 6QF
Heaven is on show at Alon Zakaim Fine Art, 5-7 Dover Street, London W1S 4LD
E&R Cyzer and Alon Zakaim Fine Art are proud to present Heaven & Earth by David Breuer-Weil. The exhibition has been conceived to be shown in two separate spaces, dividing the two perspectives of the near (Earth) and the far (Heaven). The contrasting spaces provide the foils for the artist’s exploration of the deeper relationship between the human, the intransigent, the metaphorical and the otherworldly.
The physical scope of Breuer-Weil’s work is vast and varied: ranging from monumental paintings on canvas and outdoor bronzes, to intimate works on panel and sketches that fit into stamp books. This range allows him to explore his themes from numerous perspectives and play with the nuances within them. It is this dichotomy that is at the centre of Heaven & Earth. Focusing on the concept of belonging, Breuer-Weil constructs representations of people in places before continuing to consider the wider implications. By placing his subjects far away, in orbit, he extrudes the view of the spectator.
E&R Cyzer presents Earth, with the works on display exploring the possible parameters of existence. At the entrance to the exhibition is Breuer-Weil’s bronze, Alien. This humanoid form, buried head first in the ground as the
torso and legs dangle helplessly, has a tragic affinity with its location; it is at once dependent on it, but also left exposed and stripped of its identity. Three canvases – Nolad, Visitors Horizon and Origins - each display small, unidentifiable figures falling to, resting on or emerging from the earth, each powerless in their relationship with their surroundings. The exhibition continues with the painting Investigation, replacing the ground that obscures Alien with paperwork, whilst Revenge more explicitly shows nature exerting its influence on the human world.
Meanwhile, the lower gallery contains a series of works entitled Islands. The inhabitants of these paintings are depicted in impersonal worlds dominated by colours. The figures, unable to exert themselves, are consumed by their respective world’s colour. The variation of colour throughout the canvases immerses our sensory perceptions, emphasising the symbiotic relationship of man and his environment.
opposite: Visitors Horizon, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 205 x 210 cm
Horizon 2, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 51 x 76 cmHorizon, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 51 x 76 cm
top: Archeologist, 2012, bronze, h. 8 cm, edition of 8 plus 1 APright: Brothers, 2012, bronze, h. 26 cm, edition of 8 plus 1 AP
Alien, 2013, bronze, h. 120 cm, edition of 4 plus 1 AP
opposite: Nolad, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 274 cm
Forerunner, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 80 cm
opposite: Origins, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 270 cm
Grasp, 2010, acrylic on panel, 20.3 x 25 cmStudy for the Visitor 2, 2010, acrylic on panel, 12.7 x 18 cm
Study for Reach, 2010, acrylic on panel, 20 x 15 cm
Visitor 1, 2010, bronze, h. 214 cm, edition of 3 plus 1 APInstalled in Golders Hill Park, London, in association with the City of London, 2012
Visitor 2, 2011, bronze in two parts, varied dimensions, edition of 3 plus 1 APInstalled at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, as part of Sotheby’s ‘Beyond Limits’ exhibition, 2011 (photo courtesy of Sotheby’s)
above: Maquette for Visitor, 2010, bronze, h. 18.5 cm, edition of 6 plus 1 APright: Maquette for Visitor 2, 2011, bronze, h. 17.5 cm, edition of 6 plus 1 APtop right: Maquette for Visitor 3, 2011, bronze, h. 12 cm, edition of 6 plus 1 AP
Lagoon, 2010, acrylic on MDF, 30.5 x 41 cmRoot, 2010, acrylic on panel, 17.5 x 15 cm
Visitors, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 70 x 100 cmReflections, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 70 x 100 cm
Crop, 2012, acrylic on panel, 35 x 28 cm Offspring, 2012, acrylic on panel, 25 x 20.5 cm
opposite: Revenge, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 192 x 279 cm
Parallel Worlds 2, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 77 x 56 cmParallel Worlds 1, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 77 x 56 cm
Frame 2, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 92 x 92 cm Frame 3, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 92 x 92 cmFrame 1, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 92 x 92 cm
Admin, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 60 cm
opposite: Investigation, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 263 cm
History, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 70 cm
Mortal Coil, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 60 cm
Timer, 2013, bronze, h. 22 cm, edition of 8 plus 1 AP
Maquette for Emergence, 2012, bronze, h. 23 cm, edition of 8 plus 1 AP
Emergence, 2011, bronze in four parts, varied dimensions, edition of 3 plus 1 APInstalled in Hanover Square, London, as part of the Westminster Council’s ‘City of Sculpture’ program, 2012
Heaven and Earth, 2012, bronze, h. 16.5 cm, edition of 8 plus 1 AP
Islands 2, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm Islands 3, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cmIslands 1, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm
Islands Polyptych, 2013, acrylic on canvas in 4 parts, (each) 77 x 56 cm
Large Islands, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 220 x 198 cm
23 Bruton Street, London W1J 6QFTel: +44 (0) 20 7629 0100
5-7 Dover Street, London W1S 4LDT: +44 (0) 20 7287 7750www.alonzakaim.com
david breuer-weil
Wednesday 9th October - Friday 15th November 2013
The exhibition takes place over two venues Heaven is on show at Alon Zakaim Fine Art, 5-7 Dover Street, London W1S 4LD
Earth is on show at E&R Cyzer, 23 Bruton Street, London W1J 6QF
E&R Cyzer and Alon Zakaim Fine Art are proud to present Heaven & Earth by David Breuer-Weil. The exhibition has been conceived to be shown in two separate spaces, dividing the two perspectives of the near (Earth) and the far (Heaven). The contrasting spaces provide the foils for the artist’s exploration of the deeper relationship between the human, the intransigent, the metaphorical and the otherworldly.
The physical scope of Breuer-Weil’s work is vast and varied: ranging from monumental paintings on canvas and outdoor bronzes, to intimate works on panel and sketches that fit into stamp books. This range allows him to explore his themes from numerous perspectives and play with the nuances within them. It is this dichotomy that is at the centre of Heaven & Earth. Focusing on the concept of belonging, Breuer-Weil constructs representations of people in places before continuing to consider the wider implications. By placing his subjects far away, in orbit, he extrudes the view of the spectator.
Heaven will be showcased at Alon Zakaim Fine Art. Seven large canvases are presented in the ground floor gallery; on one side of the space three of the paintings depict a central star around which people and objects revolve. In Large Orbit figures curled up in foetal positions surround the central star, evoking both themes of conception and creation whilst simultaneously
emphasising man’s vulnerability and the destructive powers of nature. They are passive observers of the laws of physics but their displacement from the terrestrial and familiar locks them in limbo: they are still at the behest of the star’s gravitational force – and hence located – but they are also in themselves planets, individual and independent. Extending this theme, works such as Firmament, Arrivals and Comet investigate the otherworldly displacement of human life in alien circumstances.
In the upstairs gallery a selection of bronzes and intricately worked, intimate paintings are displayed. Their composition invites comparisons with photographs of nebulae and star systems; the concentric designs radiate out from the centre, the figures dominated by the solar influence.
Breuer-Weil challenges our preconceptions of the meaning of Heaven; at once distant, incomprehensible and alien, it is also rooted in human ideals and fears. Its irresistible force exposes our yearning for the absolute and our frailty in the face of its power.
Firmament, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 295 cm
Orbit 1, 2012, acrylic on panel, 20.5 x 25 cm Orbit 2, 2012, acrylic on panel, 20.5 x 20.5 cm
Orbit 4, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cmOrbit 3, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm
opposite: Large Orbit, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 275 cm
Generations Series, 2010, bronze, varied dimensions, each work an edition of 6 plus 1 AP
Stars, 2012, acrylic on panel, 28 x 35 cmNight Flight 2, 2012, acrylic on panel, 13 x 18 cm
Apotheosis, 2012, acrylic on panel, 20.5 x 20.5 cm Sudden Prayer, 2012, acrylic on panel, 20.5 x 20.5 cm
Aspirant, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 180 x 120 cm
opposite: Aspirants, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 281 cm
New Generation, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 37 x 24 cm
Passing, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 27 x 39.5 cm
Maquette for Alien, 2012, bronze, h. 37.5 cm, edition of 8 plus 1 AP
Escape, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 102 x 71 cmLoner, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 70 cm
Escape, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cmArrivals, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm
Orbit I, 2012, acrylic on panel, 30 x 30 cm Orbit II, 2012, acrylic on panel, 30 x 30 cm Orbit III, 2012, acrylic on panel, 30 x 30 cm
Growth, 2012, acrylic on panel, 30 x 30 cm Simulacrum, 2012, acrylic on panel, 30 x 30 cmOrbit IV, 2012, acrylic on panel, 30 x 30 cm
opposite: Asleep, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 250 cm
Globe, 2013, bronze, h. 30 cm, edition of 8 plus 1 AP
opposite: Comets, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 250 cm
Comet, 2012, acrylic on panel, 28 x 35 cm Passing By, 2012, acrylic on panel, 28 x 35 cm
Descendent, 2010, bronze, h. 86 cm, edition of 6 plus 1 AP
Inhabitant, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm
opposite: Dice, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 353 cm
Interior 2, 2012, bronze, h. 21 cm, edition of 6 plus 1 AP
Orbit 5, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm Orbit 6, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm Growth, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm
Installation shot of Project 4, February 2013
Installation shot of Project 4, February 2013
Installation shot of Project 4, February 2013
BiographyDavid Breuer-Weil was born in London in 1965 and continues to live and work in North London. His work frequently explores ideas of humanity, history and existence. Breuer-Weil initially studied at Central Saint Martin’s School of Art before reading English at Clare College, Cambridge University.
Breuer-Weil is famed for his monumental solo shows of vast painted canvases referred to as the Projects. ‘The Project’ was held in 2001 at the Camden Roundhouse; ‘Project 2’ was held at the Bargehouse, OXO Tower in 2003; and ‘Project 3’ was then held in conjunction with the Ben Uri Gallery in 2007. His recent, expansive exhibition ‘Project 4’ received widespread acclaim and showcased his prodigious and varied oeuvre.
His monumental bronzes have been exhibited in numerous prestigious locations in London over recent months; including Alien (Grosvenor Gardens), Emergence (Hanover Square and Portman Square), and Visitor 1 (Golders Hill Park). His works have also fea-tured three times, including Alien this year, in the Sotheby’s selling exhibition ‘Beyond Limits’, at Chatsworth House.
Select Solo Exhibitions2013 ‘Project 4’ – The Vaults, London, UK2009 ‘Anorexic Babes’ – Hayek Contemporary Art Centre, Jaffa, Israel 2008 ‘The Vogue Landscapes’ – Alon Zakaim Fine Art, London, UK2007 ‘Project 3’ – Ben Uri Museum, Covent Garden, London, UK2007 ‘Codex’ – Biblion, London, UK2006 ‘Breuer-Weil: Drawings’ – Lyon & Turnbull, London, UK2004 ‘Parallel Worlds’ – Boundary Gallery, London, UK2003 ‘Project 2’ – The Bargehouse, OXO Tower Wharf, London, UK2001 ‘The Project’ – The Roundhouse, Camden Town, London, UK2000 ‘Adult Toys’ – Soho House, London, UK1999 ‘Fields of Dream: Drawings and Paintings’ – Boundary Gallery, London, UK1999 ‘Painted Reliefs’ – Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel1998 ‘Abstract Landscapes’ – Coningsby Gallery, London, UK
Select Group Exhibitions2013 ‘Beyond Limits: Sotheby’s at Chatsworth’ – Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, UK2011 ‘Beyond the Human Clay’ – James Hyman Fine Art, London, UK 2011 ‘Beyond Limits: Sotheby’s at Chatsworth’ – Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, UK2011 ‘The Human Figure in 20th Century British Sculpture’ – Boundary Gallery, London, UK 2010 ‘Beyond Limits: Sotheby’s at Chatsworth’ – Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, UK 2010 ‘Apocalypse’ – Osborne Samuel Gallery, London, UK 2007 ‘Summer Exhibition’ – Alon Zakaim Fine Art, London, UK2006 ‘Recent Acquisitions, 2001-2006’ – Ben Uri Gallery, The London Jewish Museum of Art, UK2005 ‘Contemporary Masters’ – Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel2005 ‘Closing the Door? Immigrants to Britain 1905-2005’ – The London Jewish Museum of Art, UK 2003 ‘Director’s Choice: Highlights from the Ben Uri Permanent Collection’ – The London Jewish Museum of Art, UK2001 ‘The Ben Uri Story: From Art Society to Museum’ – Phillips Auctioneers in association Ben Uri Gallery, London, UK 2000 ‘The Land’ – Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel 1996 Sotheby’s Artists, New York, USA
23 Bruton Street, London W1J 6QFTel: +44 (0) 20 7629 0100
5-7 Dover Street, London W1S 4LDT: +44 (0) 20 7287 7750www.alonzakaim.com
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Tess Cavendish E&R CyzerE: [email protected]: +44 (0) 20 7629 0100
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Chloé NelkinChloé Nelkin ConsultingE: [email protected]: +44 (0) 7764 273219
@DavidBreuerWeil@AZakaimFineArt #DBWHeavenEarth
Designer: Chris CraigPhotography: Sam Roberts, Roy Fox Fine Art & Chris CraigPrinted by C3 Printers, London 2013
Ben SpringettAlon Zakaim Fine ArtE: [email protected]: +44 (0) 20 7287 7750