Alex Colard

ABOUT the artist

Gunnar Larsson, born 1963 in Karlskoga, grew up in Hofors (1964-82). Employed as lecturer in painting at Konstfack. Member of the Academy of Arts.

ABOUT the exhibition

Gunnar Larssons calls his exhibition “The most beautiful thing I can do!”
For Larsson, it acts as a redemptive spell that allows him to disconnect his superego and just enjoy the freedom to paint ruthlessly subjectively.

“My method is very simple. I paint over ugly with beautiful, over and over and over until I feel it elevate. To achieve this lift I am completely at the mercy of luck. After countless repaints and stubborn retakes, I trust that every now and then it happens by happy accident.”
In Larsson, this affirmation of the subjective does not lead to any intense expressionism. This is how he describes his view of art: “Here and there throughout the history of art I think I discover them: the painters whose longing for beauty is stronger than their descriptive passion for truth.

They are decoratively oriented painters who favor long rhythmic lines and decorative color more than logical space and descriptive light.

It has been very edifying for me to dare to accept the decorative idea: the interplay between the ornamental and the room-forming lines, the shape rhyme and the brilliant color.”

In this exhibition, in addition to his painting, Larsson shows a series of figure drawings with Posca pens on archival paper where he investigates and plays with the line as a form element. He formulates the parameters for this analysis: “Space, ornaments, HELLO!”

ABOUT the space

Susanne Pettersson Gallery opened in Stockholm in November 2007.
We represent contemporary artists who work in a variety of media, such as painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, video and installation. Our aim is to support emerging as well as more established artists and to introduce exemplary art to the Swedish market.
We welcome you to the gallery
https://spgallery.se/

---

Charity Art Auction, June 10, 2023