The parallel universe of Sacha Eckes operates according to a set of rules all its own. Its denizens seem to function in a constant state of failure, where success is measured by perversity of outcome. It even has a diabolical aspect – literally – because devils make sporadic appearances as agents for good or evil, depending on how you assess the situation. In this alternate world the dogmas and assumptions of our own world come in for a thorough drubbing – usually delivered lightly and with a kind of twisted grace.
Eckes works directly, impulsively, drawing inspiration from her surroundings, current events, life, love, her own work and most importantly the established art world, none of which escape the sting of mockery – often subtle, at times blatant. On that score her work is famously reactive, appropriating the pages of prestigious journals such as Art Forum and subjecting them to a highly personal process of transformation and pointed visual commentary. She has even been known to make over posters announcing the exhibitions of her famous peers – most recently Michael Borremans – subverting them in ways that verge on hilarious while exposing the mechanisms of artistic celebrity and commerce.
If the visual idiom of Eckes’ work is rooted in cartoons, it doesn’t stay put for long. What begins with the small format and graphically concise migrates across media, spilling over into paint and collage and expanding as needed to occupy different formats, different spaces. Her signature mark supplies the unifying factor, running like a neon thread throughout.
- Irene Schaudies