Anton Cotteleer

Anton Cotteleer (°1974, Kapellen – works in Kalmthout, BE) studied Master in sculpture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (BE), where he actually teaches sculpture. He mainly exhibited his work in Belgium and in The Netherlands.

In his sculptures, he transforms human and animal forms and everyday elements from the traditional ”Flemish” living room into strange surrealist objects. The artist frequently uses (pre IKEA) objects and designs from the domestic atmosphere but reverts nonetheless back to examples from and references to the history of sculpture. Just like many contemporary painters are inspired by photos and existing images, Cotteleer takes over this habit and doesn’t base his sculptures directly on the human figure but on a picture of it, which he then filters and reshapes.

A central topic in the artist’s work is the skin of the sculpture. Through the use of a bizarre colour or pattern, the addition of odd material such as hair or resin, and especially through the application of a layer of felt, ground to powder, he lays explicit accents. The velvety texture that is achieved through the application of this technique is appealing and repulsive at the same time. In combination with their stylistic beauty and an attempt at technical perfection, Anton Cotteleer’s sculptures and installations reveal a kind of restrained tension and create an oppressive and perplexing effect. Through fragmented figuration and a remarkable mixture of realism and composition, Cotteleer makes a clear mark and what’s more, he creates a recognisably personal and uniquely expressive universe. Mouldiness, sexual connotations, alienation and dislocation are just a few key concepts in trying to figure out the complex sculptural oeuvre of Anton Cotteleer.

Submitted by Whitehouse Gallery