A R T S T A M P . D K

THOMAS BANG

(DK)

The lozenge shape, which is dominant in the drawings, “Topographical reflections”, appearing on the stamps, emerged initially in Thomas Bang’s drawings from the mid-sixties. Since that time the lozenge image has occasionally re-appeared, primarily in sculpture- and installation contexts and generating various references.

As a result of one of Bang’s recent interests: Egyptian Funerary Portraits from the Roman Period, this image once again crops up in his work. The entire shape of these portrait paintings is roughly that of a lozenge. Bang’s interest focuses on the appearance of the realistic painting style of the mummy portraits (1st and 2nd century AD) as entirely isolated and incongruous images forced upon the context of images of a long standing Egyptian burial tradition.

This severe disruption of context and the near disintegration of image over time which many of the portraits suffered, served as the initial point of departure for this series of drawings appearing on the stamps. The conditions of incongruity and breakdown of image found in these portraits relate to Thomas Bang’s long standing interest in contexts of a provisional and fragile nature.

The distribution of components in the drawings relates to the location and activity of elements in the installation entitled “Seven attempts to create adequate apparatus for ordinary families. Attempt No. 1”, 2008, which is in the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen.

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