Karaoke
Carl Kostyal / Stockholm, Sweden
7 April - 30 May 2016
Michael Pybus' Karaoke plays with the idea of a copy and homage. With an approach mirroring how people sing famous songs his paintings re-work the imagery of pre-existing sources. Liberally sampling from art history, global franchises and pop culture. Karaoke also connotes the concept of fandom in the act of wanting to sing their songs. Pybus' work imitates a form of icon worship through his obsessive nature of repainting and repainting again. Brands such as Pokemon and IKEA find themselves mashed up with Lichtenstein and Roger Rabbit creating new narratives and readings of imagery which we are collectively accustom to consuming.
The ground floor of the building is occupied by a series of bear sculptures throughout. Ranging from small handheld size to giant overgrown bears. They are part of an ongoing series where Pybus makes bears made out of IKEA fabrics. When IKEA launches new designs, new bears are made, creating a series of collectables, much like the 90's Ty Beanie Babies fad. In this exhibition the bears have orchids growing out of them, like parasites feeding off their hosts. The combination of orchid-infested bears and neon paintings suggest a toxic undercurrent throughout the installation.
Many of the paintings and sculptures are realized in UV reactive glow paint, which illuminates brightly under blacklight. Giving the works an active property, which pays reference to the glowing flat screens much of our life and culture revolves around now. Through incorporating this element Pybus both bridges and acknowledges the digital and virtual sources his work emanates from.