Ashley Bickerton's 2013 Works Critique Consumerism and Cultural Decay

In 2013, Ashley Bickerton created a series that includes 'Eyeball Painting 2' and 'Eyeball Painting 3', showcasing cast resin spheres mounted on wooden panels. These pieces incorporate collaged irises from iconic Western artworks such as Picasso's 'Guernica' (1937) and Bosch's 'Garden of Earthly Delights' (1503/4), alongside Bickerton's own creations, to comment on themes of violence and consumerism. His 'm-DNA _eve' series features a corpse-like figure adorned with decaying fruit and burnt cigarettes, symbolizing the origins of excess and environmental degradation. Since relocating to Bali in 1993 after his rise in late-1980s New York with industrial 'rafts', Bickerton has persistently questioned the boundaries of painting and societal norms through sharp critiques of commercialism. His self-referential humor and art-historical allusions mitigate any potential pretentiousness, while the grotesque nature of his work possesses an unsettling beauty. Some critics observe recurring motifs in his toxic aesthetic, indicating a desire for resolution beyond mere critique. This article originally appeared in the November 2013 edition of ArtReview Asia.