Daniel von Alkier (DE)
Text written by GHA
Dutch artist Daniel von Alkier presents black and white linocuts with a playful eroticism combined with a subtle sense of irony. Using bold black lines, he outlines not only the faces and bodies of the mostly nude men, but also the different settings they find themselves in.
Each of von Alkier’s images seem like a small peak into a private intimate moment while simultaneously indicating a slight touch of something performative. In some cases, the figures seem almost to be absorbed by the landscape, merging flesh and nature, becoming one, and highlighting the naturalness of sexuality. In others the settings are domestic, grounding the eroticism in everyday spaces. Here they strike daring poses with self-assured gazes as if seducing the viewer. There is something both teasing and defiant in these expressions like a tension that balances desire with amusement.
Despite the sexual overtones of the works, there is an underlying tenderness. The male subjects are not presented as ideals or objects but rather as present and real people, caught somewhere between vulnerability and control. This is evident in the duality between humour and desire, power and exposure. The figures and thereby the images, seduce without taking themselves too seriously, offering a raw yet playful look on intimacy and male sexuality.
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