Marlon Wobst

Variations of pinks of a silhouette that moves forward in a nocturnal background: Sunsetter… An enigmatic title that is rich in meaning – impossible to translate – and quite emblematic of Marlon Wobst’s new works.

If lucid observations of easy living existences were predominant in his work until now, a certain gravity seems to have taken over Marlon Wobst’s world. It cohabitates nevertheless with the playful, whimsical scenes that the artist cherishes. An evolution can also be seen in the way he paints: the juxtaposed colour planes and expressive gestures bring life to compositions where figures are often made of a few brushstrokes. The coloured matter creates a world less defined where figures barely stand out against big spaces that are deserted, wintery, sometimes heavenly – or even immersed in the ocean where they come face to face with blood red skies. It is warm, it is cold, the light is intense, almost blinding, and the water is rising. Nature, its elements, seem to reign as supreme.

As always, colour plays a major role in Marlon Wobst’s work. Dark tones have made their way through; the world has dimmed the light, and from a daytime vaudeville we are now immersed in a dark ‘théâtre noir’ setting. The decor makes it harder to find one’s bearings, but the delicate and personal palette subtly gleams and resists obscurity.

With Sunsetter, Marlon Wobst plays it by ear. Sometimes vision only offers bodies, a way to find comfort and enjoy, a toilet paper roll left in a room as an evocation of presence. At other times, this vision broadens to offer a perspective both terrible and splendid in its extravagance. There, one can feel helpless, fragile, or on the other hand, overwhelmed but completely and totally alive.