Banks Violette

The body of work by the American artist Banks Violette cannot be experienced and interpreted in a one-sided manner. His work creates an atmosphere undoubtedly perceived as cold, distant, and unsettling. References to both the dark side of our culture and American modern art are interwoven within it. His installations resemble desolate settings that insinuate violence, feelings of fear, and excessiveness. They seem capable of encapsulating something like ‘the unspeakable,’ in other words, depicting what is repressed by our culture. Hence, his imaginative fascination with ritual and dark subcultures plays such a crucial role in the creation of his works.

Banks Violette’s installations are meticulously executed in his studio, where most elements are crafted by hand. In his work, one can see references to Dan Flavin’s light sculptures, Frank Stella’s black paintings, Robert Smithson’s salt and mirror sculptures, Jasper Johns’ American flag paintings, Donald Judd’s serial sculpture modules, and more. However, Banks Violette transforms the emotionlessness of this American modernist and conceptual art into a chilling and disconcerting shock. A sense of degeneration and dehumanization is inevitable.

Often, Banks Violette’s sculptures have a black glossy surface, enhancing the morbid power in his work. For his exhibition at the museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, he chose to bring together only sculptures that are white or emit light. His work employs a modular visual language, meaning that certain forms are repeated or certain materials reappear in different shapes. As a result, the sculptures are highly flexible and adaptable to the exhibition space. By assembling installations in a constantly new constellation, Banks Violette creates a different tension for each exhibition.