X-Country Selection
With
an uninhibited brashness of line and characterization, Ackermann interprets
current events to present a cynical rendition of the powers-that-be as they
conduct their pomp and ceremony from a convoluted platform rife with
biblical, historical and sociological inferences. Witty and irreverent, Tom
Ackermann's commentary is scathing and prophetic all in one fell messy
swoop.
It might take time to understand the exact reference (for instance as to
'Cain and Able' in the double headed man) but the impression of fouled
iconography is immediate. The energy has been changed from an image that is
recognizable to a smirched version. The message inherent in the icon alters
as Ackermann places it in a context that transforms the original message (eg:
Pope equals holiness) into a message that is antithetical to the original (eg:
Pope with 9/11 is an icon overlaid with a symbol that causes suspicion as to
the sanctity). The recognizable is not always respectable as in Abu Ghraib,
The New World Order where the malignant reigns from the outset and a deathly
executioner, with an axe raised to chop, backs up the atrocities in the
foreground. As the dense scribble of black charcoal further defiles the
already black images that have been imprinted on our contemporary
consciousness through the media, the shock is underscored by the title.
In Able of War, the soldier juxtaposed with the naked man (Tom in the buff)
have a particularly poignant relationship. The brotherly biblical
characters, conjoined as Able, never reconcile except through self
destruction. The two headed Able grasps the hand of the vulnerable naked man
and the clothed soldier’s uniform denotes his rank and social status.
Ackerman's work could be read as unendingly negative were it not for the
strength of execution of these pictures. There is a man behind the scenes
who is ready to conquer the rats, dragons and power mongers. The force
behind the gesture that pushes the medium - be it paint, charcoal, pen or
latex rubber - around the pristine white page seems sufficiently strong to
conquer these demonic trends. There is hope in the outcome of the scenarios
as Tom Ackermann banishes the blackness by brandishing his artful sword.
Copyright © 2006, Headbones Gallery, The Drawers
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