László von Dohnányi’s labyrinthine oil paintings on linen tread the line between mechanical construction and organic growth. The artist explores the reciprocal influence between digital aesthetics and traditional painting through a unique process of creation; he first begins in the digital format; sourcing virtual 3D models from the internet and using architectural modeling software to distill the data down to forms and shapes that resonate with him. He then relies on a collage-like ‘cut and paste’ method that recalls the truly flat 2D surfaces of online imagery simultaneously departing and honoring the three-dimensional layering of paint in traditional art. In this sense, von Dohnányi decelerates the expeditious quality of cyberspace through manual composition.
Although the subjects of his paintings take cue from the natural world, by introducing characteristics of computer-generated images such as hyper-mediated interfaces, ultra-sharp edges, and aesthetic overstimulation, the paintings take on an uncanny quality. Branches whet into thorny wires and apples glint with synthetic sheen in a crude biomimicry of nature.
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