Tilt, 2026
Sculpture - Vinyl Spray Paint and Mosuo Black on Burned Stoneware
36 x 13 cm
Benny Brankovic is a Copenhagen-based multi-media artist, whose works experiment with contrast in all its forms. Whether he is combining neon pinks with deep Mosuo Black, or thick enamel paint hardened onto soft linen canvases, Brankovic's work is never as it first appears. His ongoing solo exhibition, Shifting Ground, features four works on canvas and three sculptures, with each sculptural piece exemplifying the exaggerated tensions Brankovic creates in his practice.
Tilt and Sink both approach the motif of flowers in a vase, with each sculpture featuring ruffled flowers mid-bloom, exploding out of curved vases. Along with the subject matter, they are also connected in the colour choices of the flower, vase, and stem.
While Sink features neon pink petals, Tilt mirrors this in its vivid orange ones. The orange flowers are at odds with the deep black stem below them – painted in Mosuo Black, one of the most light-absorbent black pigments. However, both the colour and texture of the flowers and the stem are contrasted in the vase, which Brankovic has painted a metallic light green. The reflection of the vase is at odds with the deep black stem, while the smooth exterior opposes the highly textured petals at the top of the work.
A similar play of colour and texture is seen in Sink, but this time the vase, making up over half the sculpture, is painted in Mosuo Black. Interestingly, Brankovic chose to paint the stem in a vivid navy blue, creating a stronger connection between the blooms and the vase here than the metallic green in Tilt. Despite this, there is still a tangible contrast between the textureless vase and stem and the multi-tonal pink, white, and purple undulating petals.
The final sculpture in Shifting Ground changes from the previous two in subject matter, but continues Brankovic’s exploration of multiple textures in one work. Not My Cup Of Tea is a facsimile of a mug, but, made from concrete, the piece is both significantly heavier and features a much rougher surface than that of its inspiration. Not only is the feel of the sculpture at odds with a real-life mug, but where we could expect to see liquid, Brankovic has painted in enamel ‘Not My Cup Of Tea.’ This serves as an unsubtle reminder that while his work has a basis in reality, the result is based on the artist’s own interpretation of these items.
Shifting Groundcontinues at RHODES until 6 June. Email us for more information.
