Buff Titan is the title of the current presentation by L21 Gallery in Mallorca, introducing new paintings by Felix Treadwell. "Grappling with the nostalgia and catharsis of monsterhood," the presentation features some of the artist's most enduring childhood demons such as Alien, Godzilla and the Nazgûl alongside self-portraits as a fashionable and confused teen.
While writing about Treadwell's work in the past we kept mentioning his focus on all aspects of childhood, with an accent on popular culture, comics, cartoons, movies, and games that occupied our minds and likely shaped up our characters. Mixed with his current interest in fashion and the sensitive artistic eye, as well as affinity for softened imagery and dimmed tones, all these elements keep informing his oeuvre which he is continuously presenting around the world. After recent exhibition of dinosaur-themed pictures in his adopted hometown of Taipei, the British artist is continuing reliving his childhood with a 3rd solo exhibition in Spain.
Interchanging the leading role in this presentation is Treadwell's signature character Feelo whose relaxed yet clumsy appearance clashes against non-threatening depictions of horror characters. Depicted as an androgynous fashion role-model, wearing fuzzy, often patterned sweaters, baggy pants, heels, and holding onto a range of accessories, they are casually going about their business uninterested in monstruous beings marching between them. It's their determined yet confused stance and their overall guise that imbues the presentation with a sense of positivity although they might appear as anxious and timid as they never face the viewer. And such atmosphere tension is accentuated with the portrayal of the familiar titans which are scattered in between stylish teenagers. Also rendered from profile as somewhat clumsy and palpably softened beasts, they evoke our childhood ability to modify and appropriate our fantasy to any given shape or form. Using acrylic paint and crayon Treadwell is capable of both capturing their sharp and pointy features while replacing their coarse exterior with imaginary fluffiness and the overall softness. Alongside developing his painterly practice he's successfully pursuing nowadays, such a mixture of techniques is a nod to his long-lasting love for drawing which first manifested through crayons on paper antics. —Sasha Bogojev
