Cool Hunting

A new exhibition opened this month at one of Scotland's most avant-garde galleries, Dundee Contemporary Arts. Altered States of Paint takes its name from the Ken Russell film "Altered States," in which the lead character goes through sensory experiments in an attempt to find the meaning of life. The curator of the show, Graham Domke, was also inspired by Aldous Huxley's "The Doors of Perception," using the quote from it, "The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out." Domke says that Altered States of Paint plays with the idea that "certain paintings can achieve a visionary experience and the notion of the gallery as a gateway."

The pure white minimalist space of the gallery plays host to a decidedly dark and eclectic show of work that includes murals, sculpture and canvas, which all in their various ways, take on the medium of painting in what DCA describe as "a rebellious, spirited and playful manner." Concepts relating to mysticism, neo-paganism, science fiction and even death metal music are all explored here. Altered States of Paint includes works shown in Scotland for the first time by Jutta Koether, Till Gerhard, Angela de la Cruz, Rabiya Choudry, Neil Clements and Andreas Dobler.

Altered States of Paint
Through 7 September 2008
Dundee Contemporary Arts
152 Nethergate
Dundee, Scotland
DD1 4DY map
tel. +44 (0) 1382 909 900