In Ben Sledsens’ new body of work, An Apple for the Road, saturated fields of color meet methodical patterns constructed from grasses, leaves, brick, and more. The Antwerp-born artist conceives of vibrant, atmospheric paintings in which life pauses for a moment: there’s a swan hovering over its tinted reflection, a woman just stepping out her front door, and vivid still lifes in which clouds and soft breezes rustle through the windows.
Often beginning with drawings on paper before translating the most salient details to the canvas, Sledsens is interested in repetition and the visual power of pattern, which he layers to form dense thickets of willow trees or the tiles lining a boating dock. These motifs set the scene, in which the ordinary appears in a new, slightly skewed perspective.
While bold in color, the oil-and-acrylic paintings are quiet and intimate. Sledsens beckons the viewer into domestic spaces and serene pockets of landscape, while opting for soft light and the haze of dusk. By pairing recognizable imagery with a sense that we’re witnessing a fleeting moment, the artist invites questions about what sustains our attentions and what details we may never fully grasp.
An Apple for the Road is on view from September 3 to October 10 at Tim Van Laere Galler in Antwerp. Dive into the artist’s archive on Instagram.
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