Michael Raedecker: demo

In demo (enantiodromia) the still surface of a woodland pond is enshrouded by lingering daylight. The obscure quality of its illumination speaks to the depth of the location pictured, a persistent image, repeated across multiple works. In these paintings and others, the contours of the environment recede into abstract formations that are ambiguous like patterns at the edge of one’s vision, yet full of material intricacy. Just below the horizon, an unnatural glow rises from the earth, and the world appears to be inverted.

The artist continues to use a combination of embroidery, inkjet transfers, and acrylic, with a singular ability to coalesce these media in a fluid painterly language. This is articulated in the depiction of suburban homes; a recurring symbol, styled as the modern bungalows which ubiquitously dot the landscapes of many countries. Onto their forms the viewer can project any number of stories, perhaps in succession as the lifespan of houses is much longer than our own. These structures are so familiar that they blend seamlessly with the surrounding terrain. Yet Raedecker’s demos intensify their common, pre-existing beauty, relinquishing the grand gestures of narrative, for the alluring charm of the decorative, odd, and illusory.