July 8 2006

Sleazy paintings by Bangkok's Toulouse-Lautrec

If you see a tormented but watchful figure nursing a bottle of Absinthe in a Bangkok go-go bar, then it's probably nightlife artist Chris Coles.

Chris has been likened to Toulouse-Lautrec, the four-foot syphilitic Frenchman who immortalised the can-can girls of the Moulin Rouge.

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This is what Wikipedia says about him:

The Bangkok crime fiction writer, Christopher G. Moore, and Chris Coles, the painter, are two of the leading figures in the Thailand based artistic movement known as Bangkok Noir.

Heavily distorted lines and strong, clashing colors dominate in these paintings which portray a chaotic, edgy world of colliding intention and misplaced desire, lives out of balance, male-female compulsion, alienation and disassociation.

These artistic types certainly have a way with words. "Edgy world of colliding intention" sounds so much better than "pissed-up old perverts ogling go-go dancers."

The "Bangkok Noir" movement seems poised to take the art-world by storm but I'll be very disappointed if I discover that the boys staggered home from Nana Plaza one night, logged onto Wikipedia and made it all up.

An example of Toulouse-Lautrec's work will set you back $14 million but you can pick up a Chris Coles "Bangkok Noir" original for a few hundred bucks.

If he happens to lose an ear or fall under the wheels of a passing tuk-tuk, your investment could pay off handsomely.

www.chriscolesgallery.com

[Posted to Nightlife by David]

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Readers' comments

Dana says:

One step above Haitian crap is Chris Cole's drek. Please spare us the pseudo art history psycho babble and meaningless Wikipedia historical references. Currently there is no artist portraying the farang nightlife scene. A loss and a more interesting topic of speculation.

July 8, 2006 7:14 PM

Anonymous says:

Maybe it's just me, but ..... you've got to f*#&$ing kidding me. I can get similar work by asking any second grade teacher for her art class trash.

July 9, 2006 1:39 AM

Dave says:

I've seen his work being hawked on the walls of a pretentious little 'jazz' club - the 'Saxophone' bar, if I remember correctly. The only thing that struck me about the work was the price. Seemed rather high for something that rates right down there with Elvis on velvet...

July 9, 2006 7:33 PM

bif says:

He's got a Toulouse-Lautrec/Peter Max/Gauguin/Chagall pot-pourri going there. Must be a young fella? I hope so. It'd be nice to see a bit more originality. Has draughtsmanship talents. I love some of the colours. Looks like he mostly works from photos. Obviously works hard.

I kinda like it (except for the Yellow Submarine vibe). Good luck, though. Not many people in the world hang out in the Zone and very few of them like the sort of art you hang on the wall.

July 9, 2006 11:11 PM

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