For Julien Langendorff, the seventies never really went away—heavy metal, spiritism, violence-tinged pornography, and a growing consciousness of the world outside the body are all still pressing concerns. Langendorff’s imagery comes from the far-reaching, contradictory world of 1970s subculture, mixing psychedelia’s rainbows and galaxies with BDSM pinups. However, the minimal collages often employ just two photographs, torn and joined in exactly the right place to create a precise juxtaposition. A sculpted angel and a porn actress mirror each other’s poses perfectly. A skull and a planet, exactly the same size, orbit each other. Body parts are replaced with clouds of stars.
     The visual rhythms serve as a greater force that holistically links the small and the large, the physical and the spiritual. Langendorff leaves his edges ragged and his placement on the page seemingly haphazard, in order to present his work as low-key and handmade: the result of a momentary idea, an unremarkable and entirely organic occurrence. These images, he posits, are more relevant and interconnected than we think. With almost Zen-like composure, the work suggests that no group of concerns, no aesthetic, could possibly intrigue so many people and still be considered “counterculture.” His show Goddess Fuzz Fantasy will open at agnès b. Galerie Boutique on February 11th.

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