Catalogue Above Reality

In his sculptures and installations Anton Cotteleer makes use of everyday situations and (kitsch) objects such as vases, chairs, stuffed animals and tables with tablecloths. He does everything possible to them: he upsets their meanings by fragmenting them, magnifying them, or presenting them in unexpected combinations. Trusted, recognisable objects are transformed into absurd trophies with an almost exotic essence. The innocuous objects suddenly serve as a basis or background to alarming landscapes. This is Cotteleer’s way of disrupting the control and safety we associate with homeliness and civilisation.

Cotteleer often reserves centre-stage for human figures, monochromatic and with fragmented elaboration. As a result the sculptures are reminiscent of sculptures from classical antiquity. However, their bright colours and velvety-soft skins, as well as the suggestive attitudes in which they are posed, arouse in on-lookers a sense of unease. Moreover, the presence of normal furniture hints at privacy, thereby evoking an undertone of voyeurism. Nevertheless, due to the rather slatternly appearance and the grotesquely portrayed (female) body, Cotteleer’s work can also be equated with that of 'abject artists' such as Mike Kelley, Paul McCarthy and Cindy Sherman.