Lieven Deconinck’s Untitled (blue-orange) from 2024 continues his exploration of gestural abstraction, color, and the fusion of painterly techniques with mechanical processes. Using acrylic and silkscreen ink on PVC panel, Deconinck balances the spontaneity of brushstrokes with the precision of silkscreening, creating a dynamic tension between control and expression that has become a hallmark of his work.
The sweeping, bold gestures of blue and orange across the canvas immediately evoke the influence of Cy Twombly. Much like Twombly’s lyrical abstraction, Deconinck’s work suggests forms without fully defining them, creating an emotional resonance through loose, fluid marks. The strokes appear at once spontaneous and deliberate, recalling Twombly’s ability to blend the physical act of painting with a sense of meditative, poetic rhythm. Deconinck’s marks, abstract but suggestive of movement and form, invite the viewer to interpret and emotionally engage with the work on a deeper, subconscious level.
The color palette in Untitled (blue-orange) further recalls the work of Helen Frankenthaler, particularly her use of expansive color fields. Deconinck’s interplay of deep blue and muted ochre and orange creates a layered, atmospheric composition that feels both natural and abstract. The translucent quality of his paint applications echoes Frankenthaler’s approach, where color takes on a life of its own, bleeding into the surface and generating a sense of depth and space. The warm, earthen tones contrast against the cooler blue, creating an evocative push and pull between light and shadow, heat and calm.
Albert Oehlen’s influence can be seen in Deconinck’s blending of painterly gestures with the mechanical precision of silkscreen printing. Oehlen’s practice of embracing contradictions—between traditional painting and digital intervention—is reflected in how Deconinck layers automated, mechanical elements with his gestural, hand-painted strokes. This interplay adds complexity to the work, making it feel both modern and timeless, as it bridges the gap between expressive abstraction and the impersonal, mechanized aesthetics of contemporary culture.
Furthering these connections, Untitled (blue-orange) also recalls the work of Robert Motherwell in its use of broad, simplified shapes that evoke emotional depth through abstraction. Like Motherwell’s Elegies to the Spanish Republic, Deconinck uses form and color to convey a mood, without relying on narrative or figuration. The large, simplified shapes in his work take on an almost meditative quality, drawing the viewer in to consider the emotional weight of color and form.
The integration of silkscreening in Deconinck’s work also links back to the legacy of Andy Warhol, whose use of the technique brought mechanical reproduction into the world of fine art. While Warhol’s work often focused on mass-produced imagery, Deconinck applies the same technique in an abstract, painterly context. This connection to Warhol underscores Deconinck’s interest in the boundary between the human hand and the mechanical process, creating a dialogue between personal expression and mass production.
In Untitled (blue-orange), Deconinck brings together a range of historical influences—from Twombly’s gestural abstraction and Frankenthaler’s color fields to Oehlen’s embrace of multimedia processes and Warhol’s silkscreen legacy—while maintaining his own unique voice. The result is a work that is deeply rooted in the history of abstract painting yet feels entirely of the moment, offering a fresh and innovative take on the evolving dialogue between traditional painting and contemporary technology. The tension between control and chaos, abstraction and form, makes Untitled (blue-orange) a compelling addition to the ultra-contemporary art landscape.