”We all exist in landscape. These are the human beings’ basic conditions. My basic condition as an artist is to depict and describe that landscape” S. Martinsen.
S
øren Martinsen (1966) is a Danish artist working in painting and video. In his paintings he examines and represents his surroundings in what might be called a contemporary conceptual version of landscape painting, which formulates a critique about human land exploitation, ecological concerns and notions of “nature” and “landscape” as cultural constructs. He often uses large formats and uses experimenting, layering techniques to create tangible impressions of space and depth and optical effects. Martinsen uses the formal experimentation with the paint to create works that look visually appealing in an offshoot modernist, abstract way, but in reality are figurative compositions depicting actually existing places and spaces. He samples elements both traditional and futuristic to create a personal version of the profoundly human situation of finding oneself in, perceiving, and reflecting upon, the notion of landscape and (its) nature in the hyper-industrialized world of late capitalism.
