Erik Binder – Visual Punk

The exhibition “Erik Binder – Visual Punk” at the Nedbalka Gallery presents paintings by one of the most outstanding artists on the Slovak art scene after the Velvet Revolution. Binder´s paintings became the most sought-after part of his work. They are complex compositions that include a number of seemingly diverse elements. Binder perceives various phenomena appearing in the world and reduces them into signs and symbols, which he subsequently implements into the painting itself. The phenomena that he is interested in include means of expression of various subcultures, notably street art and particularly graffiti. Binder discovered their language mainly in a number of acrylic spray paintings dominated by gestural painting, spontaneity and inspiration from children’s drawing. With this way of expression, the artist can quickly process a wide variety of ideas. From the perspective of ‘professional’ graffiti artists, Binder applies spray paint ‘like an amateur’. He lets the paint run through the canvas or paper, turning the paint drips into his individual style. Taking graffiti out of its natural environment and implementing in the so-called high art, he tries to blur the boundaries between ‘high’ and ‘low’ art. Binder´s works radiate his characteristic spontaneous humour and childlike playfulness, which draws upon his unbridled joy of the creation. In his work, he tries to free himself from his own intentions.