In the idiosyncratic world of André Pretorius, the ludicrous is coupled with the mundane. Often bolstered by classical compositions from advertising and art history and painted in a tightly controlled style, each scene depicts a moment prior to the brutal denouement, an inch away from some penultimate act. Whether a riotous group of revelers unfold their glittery drama for the viewer or an epiphany takes place in a contemplative sculptor’s studio, Pretorius makes use of his vivid imagination with a stark sense of humor and a wide range of subjects obliquely drawn from a unique combination of contemporary allegory with Versace and Banana Republic, as he places the triumphs and dilemmas of the rich and beautiful in the framework of Renaissance and Mannerist compositions.