After Richter, 2021, Oil & acrylic on canvas
Exit - IAI Director, 2023, Oil on Canvas
Blake’s practice critically challenges contemporary art’s commodification. He continually explores different techniques and styles, resisting market-driven branding. While utilising the internet’s potential for democratisation, he remains critical of its absorption by capitalism, acknowledging both positive and negative aspects.
“The Style is Death” addresses art’s commodification and artists’ resistance within the framework of late capitalism. It examines dissatisfaction with the digital realm and the resurgence of physical art presence. In this context, imperfection represents the perfection of an imperfect world, and embracing it is the most tangible way to engage and challenge the audience. A painting’s primary feature is its unique imperfections rather than its precision in depicting the world.
In addition to establishing a physical connection to the world, it is crucial to foster both emotional and intellectual connections with it. This body of work extends the art context beyond market value, emphasising the multifaceted dynamics in the art world.
⁂
Blake’s practice involves a critical form of painting. He consciously changes his techniques and styles from painting to painting, in an attempt to critique contemporary art’s tendency towards the marketable brand and commodifiable object.||He often uses the internet as a resource, seeing it as a democratising tool, allowing artists to revolt against traditional artistic genres, and instead draw upon the vast repository of images from art history and the everyday.