Union Gallery is pleased to present Chicago-based Peter Frederiksen’s “THAT’S WHAT YOU THINK!”, curated by William Gustafsson.
“THAT’S WHAT YOU THINK!” brings together Frederiksen’s latest series of free-hand machine embroideries. Frederiksen’s works are illustrated coin flips pictured in mid-air, ropes beginning to fray on the edge of a knife, multiple standoffs - all in anticipation of the rug that is sure to be pulled out from under. Caught in a moment before action, the images – utilizing the aesthetic of mid-century cartoons - depict a build-up: tensions rise between parties; consequences not yet carried out, opportunities for chance prior to inevitable fate.
Embodying the golden age of cartoon the embroideries are produced through a process responding to screenshots of numerous cartoons, with Frederiksen refining until the final composition presents itself. Jumping between various plots Frederiksen siphons the humour, fear, haphazardness, sadness, and sense of looming out of the realm of cartoons into his own artistic language. Humour has always been at the forefront of the way one thinks about cartoon. Yet, there are many ominous moments of tension within the whimsical medium of cartoon. Frederiksen holds these moments most dear. The intricate, painstakingly created, works of Frederiksen result in snapshot thumbnails. The narratives have been ripped out, leaving the viewer to explore the story for themselves.
Frederiksen bridges the gap between textiles and the more traditionally-accepted art forms of drawing and painting. Stitched onto linen and stretched over wood, the embroideries link to painting in form, and - as associated with drawing - the shading, shadow, and line complete his work.
A banner flies “THAT’S WHAT YOU THINK!” through an otherwise serene sky, a literal message from above implying futility in action and intention. The universe, however cartoonishly rendered, has other plans.