HARMONY KORINE: AGGRESSIVE DR1FTER PART II
A second chapter to Korine’s 2023 exhibition, AGGRESSIVE DR1FTER, at Los Angeles, this exhibition in London features a series of paintings drawn from his newly released film ‘AGGRO DR1FT’, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2023 and was notably shot using infrared cameras.
May 9 - July 27, 2024
Within Korine’s creative output—from paintings to films and photography—the notion of a singularity between forms begins to emerge. As such, ‘every medium gets expanded and de-specified: a film can turn into a painting, a painting can become a film,’ as remarked by Isabelle Graw, German art historian, educator and publisher of the journal Texte zur Kunst, in a conversation with the artist.
Some paintings, such as ‘Drift XI’ (2023), focus on close-ups of heads, reflecting the importance of details for the artist. In close to mid-range framing, the infrared camera is able to sensitively detect variations in thermal energy, heat, which is then transformed into a more detailed image. Harnessing the aesthetic potential of infrared, Korine explains ‘the closer you get, the more heat is pulled from the image and the more alive it looks.’
The technological workings of the camera mean that, within wide shots, lines are softened and the figures’ features are de-emphasized. The further away from objects, the more impressionistic the image, producing an unearthly quality. Korine comments that ‘The colors and the grain structure start to explode the whole idea of lines. They become more about depicting the vibration of the energy.’
The artist spent time mixing paints to intensify the strength and luminosity of the pigments, seeing how far he could push paint, the film and the idea of energy. With influences ranging from Martin Kippenberger’s playful paintings to William Eggleston’s vibrant photographs, Korine’s eccentric color palette of blues, greens, pinks and oranges—dictated by the infrared imagery—not only heightens the sense of liveliness but also the element of science fiction.
‘REVELATOR MAXIMUS’ (2023) shows a walking figure, its surroundings marked by overwhelming monochromatic hues. Variations in shade are important here, from teal to cobalt, forming an unnatural yet ethereal environment. For the artist, ‘the colors are so full of life […] At the same time the subject matter and the characters are so grim and dystopian so there’s this interesting discourse between the two.’
One of the most influential and innovative filmmakers of his generation, Harmony Korine’s work is guided by memory, emotion, and physical sensation as opposed to strategy and rational thought. Of his art, he has said, ‘I’m chasing something that is more of a feeling, something more inexplicable, a connection to colors and dirt and character, something looping and trancelike, more like a drug experience or a hallucination.’