Beer develops suspense between reality and irony, not without a certain dose of cynicism. He confronts the viewer with his work, on one hand with the ugly grimace of the grotesque, and on the other, allows him to find refuge in a pictorial reality, which in spite of everything is full of breathtaking poetry.
On the basis of these principles, Beer develops his figures, presenting themselves not only as stereotypes emerging from the pool of countless icons but also as actors whose function and roles articulates Beer’s fundamental interest in overlapping layers of signifiers.
Formally, this can be observed in his interest in collage-techniques, which meanders through Beer’s works. At the same time, a certain aloofness marks his artistic process. Crinkled paper figures hesitate between physical state, thin-skinned vulnerability and trash. Ephemerality, accumulation and potential openness can be found in further media used by Beer: his installations are constructions made of wood, foil, cardboard, plywood, aluminium, marker, acrylic paint and adhesive foil. Terracotta soldiers made from painted flower pots, bring the theme of war into the domestic backyard.
Tjorg Douglas Beer’s exhibition displays collages, large-scale works, sculptures and installations. Co-currently as this exhibition in Gstaad, Beer presents his first museum show, NARKOSE #02 in the City Gallery of Heerlen, Netherlands.