In Zsolt Bodoni's second solo show at the Mihai Nicodim Gallery in Los Angeles, "Gods and Mortals," he further explores the world of figurative painting. In these new works, Bodoni explores the oft-depicted female nude and the equestrian statue, looking at how the familiar images can evolve into new meanings by capturing moments of regeneration.
Bodoni chooses specific moments in the lives of these archetypal characters where he can catch their metamorphosis in meaning and form. The goal is to expose the transformation of icons, to retrace what is built up and what is torn down in order to make the point that everything changes. Bodoni is purposely drawing a parallel to the mortal gods of today's celebrity culture, in particular how often the idols we worship change. Venus, the sex symbol for the ages, may return, but with her comes Mars, god of war and destruction.
Death is a constant companion to beauty in Bodoni's work. In "Untitled (Nude)," the naked female figure is holding up the skull of a ram, bringing together the depiction of beauty and fertility and a symbol of death.
Bodoni is a Hungarian painter based in Budapest. In 2009, he was named by Flash Art as one of their "Top 100 Emerging Artists." His first show at the Mihai Nicodim Gallery was written up in Art in America.
The show is at the Mihai Nicodim Gallery, 3143 South La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, California until June 18th.
