Luc Tuymans

Tuymans'monochromaticpaletteandchoiceofsubjectmatter-domesticinteriors,commonplaceobjectsorfamilyportraits-linkpaintingwithpost-warfilmmakingandamateurphotography.Thesourcesofotherimagesonhiscanvasesgivehisworkabroodingviolence.Althoughmodestinscaleandsensitiveinexecution,thisworkispowerfulinitshauntingevocationoflostlivesandrepressedhistories.IngeneralTuymans'worksarepaintedingroupsforeachshowandwiththevenueandtheexhibitionspaceinmind.Forexample,whenherepresentedhiscountryintheBelgianPavilionatthe2001VeniceBiennial,Tuymansproducedacycleofworksbasedonthemurderofthefirstpost-independencePrimeMinisteroftheCongo,PatriceLumumba.OtherworksinthecycleshowimagesofAfricansculpturecopiesfromastatueinaBelgianrestaurantandimagesfromtheBelgianRoyalMuseum'sAfricancollection.Theseworksraisedissuesaboutcolonialismandpost-colonialism,butalsocameatatimewhenaparliamentarycommissionwasinvestigatingthelinksbetweentheBelgiangovernmentandroyalfamily'spoliciesandthedeathofLumumba.