Bjarne Melgaard brought a wide array of work for his recent solo show at the spacious Galerie Guido W. Baudach in Berlin. “A Kidwhore in Manhattan – A Novel” has reached terminus but I thought it was still worth a look.
Furniture featuring fabric designed by Melgaard filled the space. The beds and chairs were set at intervals leading viewers through the disjointed narrative of a young male prostitute. The gallery hints that the installation as a whole could be considered a self portrait. The attention given to the placement of the art in the space created a safe place to deal with an awkward subject.
The paintings are riddled with phallic reference. Many tributaries have been forged from this content particularly in the past fifty years. Success in the genitalia genre exists independent from the bodily reference. The art is still accountable to aesthetic appreciation and Melgaard proves accomplished.
The exhibit took a decidedly multimedia approach which involved paintings, drawings, photographs, videos, neon poems and furniture. This path made the show more of an installation than a stark showing of a particular format.
Bjarne Melgaard
A Kidwhore in Manhattan
A Novel
1 November – 20 December 2008
Galerie Guido W. Baudach
Berlin
