Down the Habit Hole

In his latest series, Arno Beck presents, for the first time, a series of acrylic paintings on canvas stylistically inspired by the tradition of woodcuts. However, instead of historical content or religious allegories, we encounter seemingly familiar imagery that, upon closer inspection, is humorously reconstructed and contextually reconfigured. Beck transfers the classic woodcut aesthetic into the here and now by applying it to large-format canvases using the airbrush technique. He sprays the motifs directly into the still-damp primer on a white-yellowish support, creating an effect reminiscent of yellowed, old paper. At the same time, the slightly blurred lines create an image effect reminiscent of greatly enlarged JPEGs—a deliberate reference to digital image culture and internet aesthetics. Each image is captioned, adding an additional layer to the work. These phrases, sometimes in German, sometimes in English, are reminiscent of classic proverbs, yet are always twisted in an amusing and absurd way. Here, we encounter not a raised index finger, but a subtle wink. The texts bear a clear meme aesthetic and appropriate the logic of internet-based forms of communication – short, pointed, ironic. What at first glance appears to be a nostalgic idyll or a naive representation reveals itself upon closer inspection as a clever commentary on the art market, the production of art, and the artist's existence itself. Beck parodies the mechanisms of the creative industries, questions the value of originality, and, with a keen sense of the zeitgeist, reflects on the absurd simultaneity of exhaustion and self-promotion, creation and simulation. With this series, Arno Beck succeeds in creating a charming combination of old prints and contemporary visual culture – a bridge between the Renaissance and the digital age, between meme and museum, between studio and algorithm.