'Takes on the Sublime'
What is the source of the sublime? That is, what makes it capable of producing the strongest emotion for its beholders? A concept that has fascinated philosophers and painters alike since the 18th century, the Sublime is defined by its ineffable nature, making it almost too obscure to pin down. It arises from being confronted with something so vast, so obscure, so powerful, so limitless, or so terrifying, it pushes one’s senses into the unknown.
Night Café is thrilled to present ‘Takes on the Sublime’, presenting new works by Alexandre Zhu, Gina Kuschke and Sam Werkhoven. In the trio exhibition, the artists will present their own takes on the Sublime.
In his detailed black-and-white charcoal drawings, Alexandre Zhu captures the fleeting and overwhelming beauty of everyday moments. His works surpass ordinary understanding of the imagery they depict. Evoking the same inexplicable emotional response as looking at the reflection of light on water or the view from an airplane window, his painstakingly realistic drawings convey the overwhelming feeling of being confronted with nature’s vastness and its unknowable sensibility. They reveal that something so vast is at play that it eludes full comprehension, leaving a sense that something far greater is at work.
Gina Kuschke channels the overwhelming forces of nature through her gestural approach to landscapes. By working with shifting scales, bold brushstrokes and unanticipated compositions, she captures the raw beauty and power of the natural world, revealing forms that emerge unpredictably, for herself and the viewer. Pushing the composition until something familiar appears: whether a fleeting memory, a dream, or an imagined form. Straddling the line between control and chaos, the knowable and unknowable, the graspable and ungraspable, she evokes nature’s expressiveness and unpredictability.
Sam Werkhoven’s painting practice centers on his fascination with light and a pursuit of stillness. Connecting with art history by exploring genres of the landscape and still life, he captures the moment of quiet contemplation, whether it is the soft hues of the clouds above or the way winter branches beautifully contrast the sky. His work speaks to the subtle beauty and the often-overlooked marvels of nature, capturing the ineffable wonder of the natural world in its quietest, most tranquil form.
‘Takes on the Sublime’ will be on view from January 28, 2025 until February 21, 2025.
