The Malta Independent on Sunday
The strange tale of a controlled chaos
Chaos and Karl Fröman in the same sentence – expected. Chaos in Karl Fröman’s artworks – not so expected, but as the ‘theory goes’, expect the unexpected
As with all the exhibitions I curate, let’s start from the beginning. I had been following Karl Fröman’s art for quite some time, but I had never met him. One fine day I received a message from him, mentioning that someone insisted that we collaborate on an exhibition. Of course, I accepted his invitation to visit his studio. We had to meet at 10am (I didn’t know him back then!!), and he showed up at 10.45am. As always, I had a book with me, so I survived the waiting. Finally, I stepped into his impressive studio and we talked for over an hour, or maybe he talked for over an hour, but we booked an exhibition slot at il-Kamra ta’ Fuq, and we had a theme set.
Every now and then we discussed some updates over the months, but towards the end of last year, the unexpected happened. A collective exhibition opened and the theme was spot on as “ours”. Karl decided he didn’t want to continue on this theme (even though I love to see how artists tackle the same subjects so differently) and after another visit to the studio, he showed me the first four works from the exhibition series, where he was experimenting with abstract and I was immediately sold on the new theme which was going to revolve around chaos, for various reasons.
And in between the above, we also worked together on a collective exhibition about guilty pleasures where he was unexpectedly worried about one of the works that he wanted to exhibit, which was practically porn. Of course, it was exhibited and of course, it was the first artwork to be sold from the entire exhibition.
Back to chaos and chaotic nights involving Fröman – apart from the stories surrounding the opening night of his first solo in Malta, which was held in April 2022 (might even be an urban legend at this point) – another night that I witnessed myself, was during an open studio pop-up exhibition, where one moment I was talking to him about an artwork and a few minutes later I see him high up on a ladder and he just jumped… Yes, during the exhibition! I admit, after that night I did start slightly worrying about what to expect on his opening night at il-Kamra ta’ Fuq.
Enough about Karl and more about his works being exhibited in From chaos we are borne. As mentioned earlier, there is a stylistic evolution from the classical training and realistic/surreal approach that he is mostly known for. There are two small amazing works that are completely abstract and the rest originate from an abstract approach which becomes the background of figurative snippets set into these surreal timeless narratives. It did all start from chaos, though not via Karl, but rather from his offspring, the little cute Nathalia, who started dabbing loaded brushes of paint on immaculate canvases. Let’s call it serendipity, which gave birth to these “balanced” works of abstract vs realism vs surrealism, order vs disorder, normal vs absurd and utopia vs dystopia.
The works tackle various topics, some more personal to the artist than others. One has to start with the only self-portrait in the exhibition. I have to say “only” as self-por
traits are quite typical in Fröman’s oeuvre. Titled It’s all about the love we forgot to show, the portrait shows Karl or rather two Karls, one executed in a blue skin tone for the face, and the other which is in a muddy green, almost like a “Peter Pan” sewn shadow stuck to a Karl who seems almost in anguish, surrounded by two of his most regular paramount objects, engulfed in deep thought, one hand holding a paintbrush, the other a cigarette. All is audaciously placed on an abstract brown-ochre-ish background which is present in 13 other artworks in the exhibition, tying them together and hence omitting any aesthetic chaos. This brings focus to the chaotic element which each artwork is tackling as a subject.
Moving on to one of my top favourites, Carne Levare, which portrays a female nude body poised in a very sensual and powerful position, whip in hand and sporting a purple head of a rabbit instead of a human one. Just next to it, is another purple rabbit, which to me immediately brings to mind the movie Donnie Darko and all its complex logic or lack of it. The bodies are intertwined into a vortex of purple and golden browns again, a vortex reminiscent of the one in the mentioned movie.
There are two artworks portraying an octopus. 42 is about the true meaning of things in life and how one should search within oneself for what really matters. Even if meanings are ambiguous and there are multiple interpretations, one needs to trust oneself. While
Cosmic Debris is alluding to the endless possibilities in this world, as the popular interpretation of the chaos theory, where – cliché alert – one has to mention the Butterfly Effect and unpredictability.
From the unpredictable to Intuition, where again sometimes choosing what seems to be “wrong” by following one’s gut feeling, might lead to the “right” decision after all. The exhibition had to include a portrait of little Nathalia, depicted covered in blotches of paint, positioned on an almost monochromatic abstract background, where the artist is making astute use of the bright white of the canvas.
Serendipity portrays a reclined sensual female torso and part of the face showing barely parted lips, set amid a sea of abstraction. If I had to give a title to this work, I would have chosen La Petite Mort. The artwork is advising us to make sure to never lose track of the beautiful moments, people, and things in life, which make life worth living.
And the triptych which I feel is top in this exhibition. The two already mentioned abstract paintings are surrounding a portrait of the beautiful Maria, Karl’s partner, on an abyssal and cavernous abstract, an almost end-of-world aura, which perhaps is indicating the rock and stability in the artist’s life, in an otherwise totally chaotic world.
One important lesson which I learned during the setting up of this exhibition is that if you have to meet Karl Fröman, always tell him one hour earlier than the actual meeting time.
The exhibition is being held at ilKamra ta’ Fuq in Mqabba until 7 May. For more information follow the venue’s Facebook page