Ian Kiaer makes work about making work. He makes paintings which directly respond to Malevich’s black square as the death of painting. He makes sculptures and installations which evoke the poises of non-making versus the praxis of making. Thinking space is offered in abundance.
In a humble and unassuming manner he presented his career path, with works also becoming progressively less prescriptive. This quiet humility is contradicted by his ascent to international recognition, with works invited for the Istanbul biennial among others.
What I found really interesting, especially in light of having recently received assessment feedback on my essay, was how driven Kiaer is by his love of critical art history. Relevant contextual engagement is essential to offer your work as contribution to current critical debate, but Kiaers passionate exploration of early 20th century and late 19th century artists and philosophers really grounds his work in a strong foundation which adds volume and form to his ‘tentative’ practice.