Stefan MÅS Persson 2011
If I was to describe my art, there are some themes that
run across much of my artwork. For instance, I have a range of colour in
which I prefer to work. I like ultramarine and cadmium orange. They are
each other’s opposites, and each other’s complements. The balance
between these two distinct colours, by themselves as well as mixed
together with an urban palette, form the basis for many of my pieces.
Another theme is the structure of my work. I do my paintings with
acrylic on MDF hard board. I like to experiment with textures and so I
apply many layers of paint which I scratch and smudge and repaint to get a
foundation on which to build my art. My paintings often look
three-dimensional as if they are sculptures, yet they are flat. I achieve
this effect by working extensively with perspective, sometimes impossible,
and shadows, and also by cutting out the painting, as well as cutting away
specific areas inside the painting, using a tiny saw blade. When I am done
with a piece, I often place them in hand made white frames, with black
background.
Another common theme is the
motifs of my art. I create urban landscapes, with structures that stack on
top of each other. Buildings that rests firmly or are near a collapse.
Even though I often start with detailed sketches before starting to paint,
the paintings grow and change as I paint them. I like to experiment with
forms and shapes to surprise myself with ideas during the process of
painting. There are also recurring characters in my pieces: lonely
individuals who share the same structures, yet are separated from each
other. I see an irony in this.
I started out with showcasing my art locally in Malmö
in the late seventies, and have since then participated in national and
international exhibitions. I have had solo exhibitions in many different
parts of the world: in Denmark, Norway, Finland, France, Holland, Spain,
Singapore and Sweden. I have also participated in art fairs in Denmark,
Sweden, Finland, Holland, France and Singapore and Belgium. Finally, I
have created several public works in Sweden and Denmark. For an exhaustive
overview of previous exhibitions and events I have participated in, please
visit the CV page. Each post is hyperlinked to its corresponding event.
My interest in art is something that I have had and
pursued actively since I was small. I started painting early in my life. I
got my first set of oil colours and an easel at the age of ten. At the age
of sixteen I went to a gymnasium that had art as a subject, with
specialisation in aesthetics. After that I went to Forum art school in
Malmö to study modelling and painting in the evenings with teacher
Jaques Zadig,1975-1977. Then I attended Munka Ljungby Folkhögskola
Konstlinjen, the art course 1978-1980. I then moved to Umeå and spend
three years studying for a degree in Bachelor of Art 1980-1983. During
this time I had my first real solo exhibition at Galleri Eklund, the major
gallery in Umeå. After I graduated in 1983 I moved to Halmstad where I
had my first exhibition in 1986 at Konstfrämjandet, Gallery Victoria. I
also worked part time as an art teacher, 1983-2000.