Marius Martinussen

The exhibition shows series of images created using airbrush techniques and large amounts of masking tape. The precise lines create a clean and precise transition between monochromous colour fields. Martinussen is a skilled colourist, and his pictures are colourful and extravagant with a wide range of references to popular culture and advertising. The colour combinations create a dynamic expression that is reminiscent of the city's illuminated signs and graffiti. In art history, Martinussen can be linked to American pop art, expressionism, and modernist abstraction. He approaches the issues and challenges of painting through formal experiments, but also through references to art history using different stylistic expressions and art theory. Each artwork in this exhibition is the result of careful and dedicated work in the studio. The layers of paint show the time and effort invested in each individual composition. The vivid motifs invite the viewer to join a visual journey where colours, textures, and geometric shapes merge.

In the series Multiverse, 40 small paintings in size 40 x 30 cm are shown. All the pictures are composed according to the same principle; the pages in the format are divided into the golden section, which in turn is divided into smaller parts, also according to the golden section. All the intersections are used to draw lines that form surfaces, which in turn form the basis of the composition. The process is repeated in each layer until the image is finished. The series is inspired by a thought experiment taken from the Netflix series "In Search of Eternity" (2022). In the TV series, prominent mathematicians, particle physicists and cosmologists take deep dives into infinity and its unimaginable implications for the universe.

The "diamond" images are created using masking tape and spray paint, and the geometric shapes and textures are based on the golden ratio. The paintings are the result of an extensive layering process that extends over several months for each work. Each coat and each layer are carefully applied with airbrush techniques to achieve the desired result. Nothing in these works of art is left to chance; Each composition follows a set of rules that guide their creation and create a coherent and harmonious visual language throughout the exhibition.

The pictures with vertical stripes belong to the Curtain paintings series, where Martinussen adds vibrant colours and intricate geometric shapes. The dark areas give an effect that can be reminiscent of the shadow side of tree trunks, fire licking or folding in a stage curtain. The dualism between abstract and figurative, geometric, and organic, hard and soft transitions shows the intricate connection between culture and nature in his images.

Martinussen is inspired by the vibrant mosaic of the urban landscape and the colours of nature. Through a combination of colours from mature combinations, visually striking paintings are created that explore the contrast between bold and eye-catching elements, as well as softer and nuanced fields of colour that vary in opacity.

Art Gallery Linn invites you to experience the exhibition Prisms, Portals and Curtains and let yourself be fascinated by the visual compositions and colour palettes that challenge and enrich your senses. Martinussen’ s pictures can be perceived as confusing when the viewer's gaze is shifted restlessly over the motifs. It is difficult to know where the viewer should stand in the room for optimal reading of the images. This question provokes a state that is somewhere between discomfort, irritation, energy, fascination, and meditation – which is a privileged and rewarding place to be. In this way, art opens for new perspectives and life experiences.

Marius Martinussen was born in Kristiansand (1978) and grew up in Arendal. Lives and works in Oslo. Educated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Trondheim and the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki. He has had many exhibitions both at home and abroad, including at Kunstnerforbundet, Kunstsenteret i Møre og Romsdal, Galleri F15, Galleri QB, Bomuldsfabriken, Kunstverket Galleri, Galleri Brandstrup, Trondheim Kunstforening, as well as exhibitions in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Helsinki. His works have been purchased for many collections, including Arts Council Norway, Norges Bank, Trondheim Art Museum, Sørlandet Art Museum and Haugalandmuseet-Haugesund Picture Gallery.