Lars Bohman Gallery is proud to present Gunnar Larsson's first exhibition at the gallery. The exhibition consists of a series of new pastel paintings.
A few years ago, Gunnar Larsson, in distraction, bought a box of dry pastel crayons. The discovery of this, to him, new material was of great importance to his work. In the pastel painting he found a new mode of expression that combined the directness of drawing with the precision of the oil painting. This simplicity and variety of facets inspired Larsson to a scenic reorientation. He had previously mainly worked with fabled figuration with references to art history. This was now put aside for the joy of simply painting what he actually saw.
However, it was not a genuine interest in nature that made Gunnar Larsson start depicting the landscape around him but rather artistic reasons; in landscape painting Larsson found the picturesque challenges that captured him the most; spatiality, distantness and light.
Larsson's pastel technique brings to mind the portrait painters of the 18th century and Degas' dancers. Although more references are found in the artists of "Färg och Form"; Axel Nilsson and Sven X:et Eriksson who, like Larsson, also painted their surrounding environments.
Weather plays an important role in Gunnar Larsson's paintings. Weather does not only signify sunshine or overcast skies but also temperature, wind, humidity and over time also time of the day and season. The surface of the sea is always changing; the waves recount stories about the wind where scuds bounce on the surface. The colour of the sea reflects the clouds and the sky and the reflections of light explains the position of the sun. The reflections distort and explain the room.
In this new serie of paintings, made in plein-air, Larsson seeks the light in different situations. The conflict between the total impression and the individual lustre of the details is important. The paintings depict the same location, Baggensstäket in Nacka, at different moments throughout the year. It is a story about light which is also what brings the paintings together as a whole and simultanously separates them into individual works.
Gunnar Larsson is born in Karlskoga 1963. He is raised in Hofors and now lives and works in Nacka. He studied at the Royal University College of Fine Arts in Stockholm 1984-1989 and has exhibited several times at Galleri Engström, Stockholm. He had a solo show at Konstforum, Norrköping in 2009 and has also participated in several group shows, among others at Millesgården, Stockholm, Thielska Galleriet, Stockholm and Konstnärshuset, Stockholm. He was awarded with the Maria Bonnier Dahlin scholarship and participated in the inaugural show of Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm. Later this spring a book with essays by Gunnar Larsson is published by Carlsson Bokförlag.
For further information and images, please contact the gallery.
A few years ago, Gunnar Larsson, in distraction, bought a box of dry pastel crayons. The discovery of this, to him, new material was of great importance to his work. In the pastel painting he found a new mode of expression that combined the directness of drawing with the precision of the oil painting. This simplicity and variety of facets inspired Larsson to a scenic reorientation. He had previously mainly worked with fabled figuration with references to art history. This was now put aside for the joy of simply painting what he actually saw.
However, it was not a genuine interest in nature that made Gunnar Larsson start depicting the landscape around him but rather artistic reasons; in landscape painting Larsson found the picturesque challenges that captured him the most; spatiality, distantness and light.
Larsson's pastel technique brings to mind the portrait painters of the 18th century and Degas' dancers. Although more references are found in the artists of "Färg och Form"; Axel Nilsson and Sven X:et Eriksson who, like Larsson, also painted their surrounding environments.
Weather plays an important role in Gunnar Larsson's paintings. Weather does not only signify sunshine or overcast skies but also temperature, wind, humidity and over time also time of the day and season. The surface of the sea is always changing; the waves recount stories about the wind where scuds bounce on the surface. The colour of the sea reflects the clouds and the sky and the reflections of light explains the position of the sun. The reflections distort and explain the room.
In this new serie of paintings, made in plein-air, Larsson seeks the light in different situations. The conflict between the total impression and the individual lustre of the details is important. The paintings depict the same location, Baggensstäket in Nacka, at different moments throughout the year. It is a story about light which is also what brings the paintings together as a whole and simultanously separates them into individual works.
Gunnar Larsson is born in Karlskoga 1963. He is raised in Hofors and now lives and works in Nacka. He studied at the Royal University College of Fine Arts in Stockholm 1984-1989 and has exhibited several times at Galleri Engström, Stockholm. He had a solo show at Konstforum, Norrköping in 2009 and has also participated in several group shows, among others at Millesgården, Stockholm, Thielska Galleriet, Stockholm and Konstnärshuset, Stockholm. He was awarded with the Maria Bonnier Dahlin scholarship and participated in the inaugural show of Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm. Later this spring a book with essays by Gunnar Larsson is published by Carlsson Bokförlag.
For further information and images, please contact the gallery.