Bend the Void
Bend the Void
The Space between Yeah and Yes
Multi-talented Geoff McFetridge goes solo in MU
From poetry to animation, from graphics to 3D work, from textile and wallpaper to
paintings, graphic artist Geoff McFetridge has complete control over these widely
divergent disciplines. In the past ten years, Los Angeles-based McFetridge has
created in his free work and in his commissions a unique imagery, which is detailed
and abstract at the same time. Full of hands and teeth, objects and animals,
skaters and bikers.
“As a graphic artist, you’re sort of swimming in a void. It’s really simple to make
cool stuff, there’s so much cool stuff going round day in day out that it’s getting
boring.” Geoff McFetridge sees himself as a merchant in icons. “Take the Yeti. I’ve
made dozens of them over the years. In fact, I have reduced the bigfoot to virtually
nothing. Even so, no matter how I keep reducing the image, it remains recognizable.
That’s how I attract people; then I give it all a twist and start playing the perception
game.
Born in Canada, but trained at the California Institute of the Arts, McFetridge won
public acclaim as a designer when he was still a student. For two years, he was
art director of the famous underground Beastie Boys magazine Grand Royal. Since
then he has worked for numerous clients ranging from Nike, Pepsi, and Stüssy to
Burton, Girl and 2K/Gingham. He made clips for Plaid, Simian, and recently also for
The Whitest Boy Alive, and he created film title sequences for The Virgin Suicides
and Adaptation. He is one of the Beautiful Losers, and makes solo exhibitions from
Los Angeles to Paris and from London to Tokyo. ‘Bend the Void. The Space between
Yeah and Yes’ is his first large solo exhibition in the Netherlands.
While McFetridge’s work sometimes literally shows its sharp edges, it is equally
often imbued with a keen sense of humour. “Humour is the most solid base to build
on. Humour travels fast and without effort. I take pleasure in making people smile
about a logo.” For his commissions as well as for his free art, McFetridge draws
inspiration from the huge stack of sketchbooks he collected over the years. “As a
designer, you produce so much waste material. At least ten rough sketches precede
every design. It’s such a waste to throw these away. I keep them all, and from time
to time, I pick out a word of a line of approach from them, which inspires me into
making something new. That’s how you can build a pathway for your own brain.”
MU in De Witte Dame, Emmasingel 20, 5611 AZ Eindhoven,
phone: 040 296 1663, e-mail: mu@mu.nl.
Opening June 22, start 20.00 pm. On view up to and including August 5.
Openinghours Mon-Fri 10-18, Sat 11-17, Sun 13-17
Sorry, i am just lazy
