Olaf Hajek Vorleser, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
150 x 100 cm (unframed)
153 x 103 x 6 cm (framed)
153 x 103 x 6 cm (framed)
The painting is from a body of work Olaf Hajek conceived as a story about contemporary life symbolized by the figure of the Dandy. The paintings frame the artifice and elegance, superficiality and hedonism associated with the figure—especially in 19th century commentaries on the social phenomenon in Britain and in France—within Hajek's distinct iconography: the Dandy becomes associated with a flower, its brilliant colors and extravagant forms expressions of exuberance and the search for pleasure.