Joachim Lambrechts: American Superheroes

Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, Misty Knight, Dick Tracy, the list goes on. In his latest series of paintings, Joachim Lambrechts brings to life some of the most iconic comic book characters from across the last century. Featuring walls of vividly coloured portraits, American Superheroes, Lambrechts’ solo exhibition at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, West Palm Beach, invites visitors to reconnect with childhood memories and the power of make-believe.

 

Growing up, Lambrechts found a joyful form of escapism in comic books and cartoons. He would make his own drawings of superheros and design his own full-length comics, imagining worlds where ‘literally anything was possible.’ This fantastical realm provided a welcome distraction from the difficulties he was experiencing at home and filled him with a sense of hope for the future – if he could create alternative realities with a few colouring pencils, perhaps anything really was possible. A few years ago, he found himself once again drawn to the world of superheroes and has now built up an impressive collection of action figures that he either owned or longed for in his youth.

 

In a sense, this latest series of works is a step back in time – a way of tapping into the boundless imagination of childhood, that expansive feeling of invincibility – while also reflecting on the contemporary moment and the need not just for escapism, but for real-life heroes. As Lambrechts puts it: ‘We need heroes who can stop bombs with their bare hands and bring innocent victims back to life with magical brain waves. We need heroes who can blow tsunamis back into the sea with the force of their lungs and stop earthquakes with energetic energy. We need heroes who can defeat evil people with evil intentions and banish them to the farthest reaches of the universe.’ These are fantastical dreams, of course, but desperate times call for creative solutions and perhaps, Lambrechts suggests, we should be looking less to the real world and more to works of art for inspiration.

 

As well as depicting universally recognisable characters, Lambrechts has also recreated some of the lesser-known figures of the superhero world such as Phantom, Plastic Man and Fantomah who were immensely popular in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, but are somewhat forgotten today. Each figure is painted in their original costume and rendered in Lambrechts’ signature graphic style that recalls the aesthetics of retro posters. As he points out, all of the characters are the creation of other artists, which have become embedded into and shaped by the collective imagination. In repurposing their imagery, he pays homage to this ongoing creative dialogue, encouraging us to tap into a childish sense of playfulness and to find new meaning.

 

As Lambrechts says, ‘Behind every superhero is an ordinary man or woman; often the only difference is that they have the courage to do things that everyone else thinks is impossible. No matter how hopeless a situation sometimes seems, they keep fighting and refuse to give up. That, if you ask me, is the real superpower.’