Kiernander also plays with the theoretical “Gaze” in works like Jimmy and Charlie Shoot the Shit. Covering a figure’s head with a paper bag, he comments on issues of access. Although the viewer is still aware of where the figure’s face is located and in which direction the figure is focusing its attention, easy consumption of the face/personality of the subject is obstructed. Such pieces work through psychological issues of observation – wanting to be seen versus hiding oneself from scrutiny.
Recently, Kiernander’s work has become increasingly focused on medium. Paint is no longer a tool for creating imagery; it is a subject/character itself. In a transcendent blend of the abstract and the figurative, paint takes on a life of its own. It seeps from areas of the canvas, shows through the clothing of certain figures, interacts with other characters in the tableau, and morphs from the body parts of figures. At times, chalk outlines are left “unfinished,” rendering artistic methods visible and making the process of painting yet another entity in the work.
Trevor Kiernander also works as a DJ/Producer of House music. The sampling and remixing inherent to electronic music production parallel the process of Kiernander’s painting. He selects ideas and images from many different sources in order to construct fresh, innovative compositions. Like his music, his works create a cutting-edge vibe by assimilating fragments of our culture.
