Koen van den Broek: Blue Highway 24 August - 12 October de boer (Los Angeles) is pleased to present Blue Highway by Belgium-based artist Koen van den Broek. This is Van den Broek’s second solo exhibition with the gallery, where he continues his investigation and representations of the built environment. Described by John C. Welchman as “consequentially “abstract” in appearance [and] scrupulously wise to the street,” Van den Broek’s new paintings represent a profound evolution where they are made with the same tar and traffic paint used to repair and mark the road. In the past year, following the release of the 500-page monograph Out of Place in November 2023, there has been a significant evolution in Koen van den Broek’s studio. This comprehensive publication, featuring an insightful text by Dr. John C. Welchman, provides an in-depth look at Van den Broek’s twenty-five-year career as a painter. A distinctive aspect of Van den Broek’s work is his photographic gaze, which explores shadows and perspective, often adopting both a bird’s-eye and microscopic view to scrutinize humankind’s influence on the landscape. His latest work continues to push boundaries by engaging with the raw canvas, using the materials of road workers: tar, traffic paint, and asphalt. Rather than engage with creating an illusion of the street, the paintings have the feeling of being cut out of the street and brought into the gallery, creating a conceptual illusion far beyond what a representational painting can accomplish. About Koen van den Broek (b. 1973) Works by Koen van den Broek are part of major public collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum (LACMA), Los Angeles; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA); San Francisco; SMAK, Ghent; M HKA, Antwerp; Busan Museum of Art, Busan; Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo; Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe, and Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Deurle; Kunstmuseum, Bonn; Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp and Brussels; Seoul Arts Centre, Seoul; Kunsthalle, Mannheim; Royal Academy, London; MAS, Antwerp, and Kunsthal, Rotterdam; His work can also be found in numerous public spaces in Belgium, such as the Hofkamer, Antwerp; ‘t Zilte, MAS, Antwerp; AZSM Hospital, Mechelen, and the Provinciehuis, Hasselt. With recent solo exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art (M HKA) in Antwerp, Belgium; Kunstmuseum in Magdeburg, Germany; and Ludwig Museum in Koblenz, Germany; van den Broek’s intuitive paintings push towards materiality. In “What's the Story,” an exhibition at the Royal Museum of Fine Art (KMSKA) in Antwerp about space, time, and power, Van den Broek is exhibiting a 4-meter painting alongside George Condo, Thomas Houseago, and Mark Manders. Koen van den Broek’s paintings explore subtle abstract forms embedded in the urban landscape. His work was presented at the 2015 and 2017 Venice Biennales, and in 2008 he collaborated with John Baldessari on a body of work exhibited at the Bonnefanten, Maastricht, and Galerie Greta Meert, Brussels. Van den Broek received his bachelor’s degree in architecture before studying painting at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, the St. Joost School of Art & Design in Breda, the Netherlands, and the Higher Institute of Fine Arts in Flanders, Antwerp. Architecture serves as the primary source of inspiration for Van den Broek. Examining and painting the cracks in the sidewalk, shadows of buildings and bridges, highway overpasses, and stone curbs, reducing these man-made architectural forms to their essential geometry. Devoid of figures, his canvases nonetheless imply the presence of human intervention. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Rachael Bos: Dead Loop 24 August - 12 October de boer (Los Angeles) is delighted to announce Dead Loop, a solo exhibition by Chicago-based artist Rachael Bos. This is Bos’ first solo exhibition with the gallery, featuring medium—and large-scale oil paintings that delve into the world of Olympic athletes. Dead Loop explores the intersection of sport, heroism, and nationalism through Bos’ unique lens. The exhibition is a profound commentary on the nature of celebrity and the fleeting nature of athletic prowess. Bos' process involves meticulously curating and mining imagery from various sources, tapping into her fascination and the broader historical obsession with organized sports. Utilizing the rule of thirds to structure several of her paintings, Bos creates a visual rhythm that mirrors the natural elegance of this mathematical pattern. By integrating this spiral, Bos invites viewers to experience the underlying order and beauty found in nature and athleticism. This approach reflects her interest in how systems and structures, whether mathematical or cultural, shape our understanding of the world. The title “Dead Loop” refers to a high-difficulty gymnastic move on the uneven bars, that is now banned in competition due to its extreme difficulty. Famously first performed in competition by Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Korbut was 17 at the time and was given a score of 9.8 out of 10 causing great disbelief to the audience and world at large. Bos’s choice of this title underscores her examination of athleticism and its role in shaping and distorting notions of heroism and recognition. The exhibition features a poignant portrayal of Nadia Comăneci, the Romanian gymnast renowned for being the first athlete to be awarded a perfect ten on the uneven bars at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, depicted in a contemplative, idle stance. In contrast, Bos does not include a depiction of Korbut, instead focusing on the broader implications of their stories. Bos’s approach often shifts from individual athletes to collective moments, as seen in works like Feedbacker No. 1 and Feedbacker No. 2. These paintings draw from rhythmic gymnastics routines, celebrating the choreography and teamwork while reflecting the spectator’s paradoxical experience—intimately connected to the event yet distanced from its essence. Rachael Bos (b.1999, Salt Lake City, UT) lives and works in Chicago, IL. At a young age, Rachael Bos attended the Olympic tryouts held in Salt Lake City, Utah, this memory has stuck with her as she began adopting principles of athleticism into her life and practice. Her work has been exhibited at venues such as Hans Gallery, Chicago IL; Nathalie Karg Gallery, New York, NY; Sulk Chicago, Chicago IL; No Gallery, New York, NY; The Hole, New York, NY; The Material Room, Richmond, VA; Galerie Rolando Anselmi, Rome, Italy; and de boer, Los Angeles, CA.