Bo Christian Larsson

Bo Christian Larsson (born 1976 in Kristinehamn, Sweden) is a Swedish artist who works mostly with large-sized drawings, installations, performances and objects. 1994-98 he studied at AKI Academy of Visual Arts in Enschede, Holland. 1997 he was an exchange student at Western Australia's College of Fine Arts in Perth, Australia. 2004-2008 he lived and worked in Munich, Germany, and after that in Hamburg, where he achieved the Philipp Otto Runge Scholarship for one year.[1] Now lives and works in Älvkarhed, Sweden and Berlin, Germany.

Artistic Practice

Drawings

Drawing is for Larsson the start of the whole creative process. The act of drawing as a physical experience plays a big role in his practice. It is almost as if Larssons drawings would suggest a parallel existence, a mystical world of recognizable symbols and elements slightly tilted to create something obviously unknown.

Stephanie Rosenthal, curator: "Although the Swedish artist works with obvious symbolism, his work remains mystic and arcane and reminds one of a foreign land that wants to be discovered." in: Favoriten 08. Neue Kunst in München, exh.cat., Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany, pp.70 – 75)
Bo Christian Larsson: "I believe that strong feelings as a result of aesthetic experience form a very important part of my creative process. The accent on feelings like fear and anxiety – these are feelings you can experience when being confronted with the direct meaning of my work."

The drawings are works on their own, but Larsson also says that "the big drawings mostly work as blueprints for the installations and performances. My installations are mostly like my drawings just in 3D and the performances are like the act of drawing just with an audience."

Performances and Installations

Almost all of Larsson's installations are the results of a performance or happening. The essential elements and structures in the installations are prepared and specified, and the performance is an act of spontaneous action within this controlled space. A recurring component is a black wig hiding Larsson's face, creating a sort of artificial blindness and darkness guiding the view to the inside, to the essential.

Bo Christian Larrson: "I think this is the only costume you can wear at all, it makes so little and so much with your body at the same time. No big deal. You put on the wig and you are a different person. This has always fascinated me. I have the wig in front of my eyes. I turn it around, so I can't see anything. This is a very important point in my performances, that I blind myself and have to take a look inside. I become a different person and disappear in this role." (Interview on Bavarian Radio, 24.06.2008)

For Larsson everything has its origin in the darkness, where the human spirit develops - and in this case, free from the apparent reality because of the reduced visual perception.

In his performances Larsson shows his point of view on the world's prevailing conditions and his animadversion on them. For the viewer he creates an area for own connotations and projections upon the earthly circumstances.

Stephanie Rosenthal, curator: "Rites of passage are specifically important in Larsson's work. This phase stands for „already-loosening" of the old condition and "not-yet-arrived" in a new condition. In this "twilight-zone" there are the most possibilities to new thoughts. It seems as if Larsson wants to remain there. He becomes a border crosser, an intermediate being, passing through a permanent process of transformation." (in: Favoriten 08. Neue Kunst in München, exh.cat., Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany, pp.70 – 75)

In Larsson's performances he often uses the following recurring protagonists:

Objects

The objects result almost every time as a result out of a performance and can be looked upon as debris of, or merchandise for, these actions.

Bo Christian Larsson: "I feel uncomfortable as a human in our time. That's why I hardly create new products, but try using already existent material." (SZ newspaper, 26./27.01.2008 in „Der Mann aus dem Wald")

The objects also close the circle of Larsson's creative process.

Exhibitions

Selected Solo Exhibitions

Selected Group Exhibitions, Happenings and Performances

Grants and Awards

Collections

Selected bibliography

References

  1. ↑ Bo Christian Larsson Received Award from The Philipp Otto Runge Foundation, Art Knowledge News, accessed 2010-05-19

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.