Olaf Hajek Rote Stunde, 2024
Acrylic and modeling paste on canvas
70 x 70 cm (unframed)
72,7 x 72,7 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