Martin Jacobson

Martin Jacobson is one of the foremost Swedish artists of his generation. Here at Vandalorum we are showing part of his latest work. The monumental painting Great Swan has been specifically produced for Vandalorum.

Jacobson works primarily with painting, but occasionally also with objects. He describes painting as a way of navigating, and communicating with, existence. He uses art historical images as his starting point, and as tools to explore painting and its relation to historical and contemporary mythology.

Jacobson uses images from the “trash bin” of arthistory and collects postcards, catalogues, illustrated magazines, schoolbooks, photographs and children’s books. He is continuously searching for archetypalmotifs and themes: the sunset, the moonshine, the road, the mountain, the water and the sky. Elements of images from widely different sources meet in compositions,which appear to originate from collective dreams. ”I have dreamt that I haveseen historical exhibitions that never existed. In those dreamed exhibitions,natural historical artefacts are sharing the space with vases and paintings from the Baroque until the turn of the last century. Props from Hollywood are presented in the same room as religious relics. In my studio I try to recreatethese exhibitions.”

There is a theatrical base to Jacobson’s painting. Theworks sometimes appear as abandoned backdrops to a grandiose, unwritten play. There, on the empty stage, is where the viewer takes his place. We hear abewildering conversation moving back and forth between chiaroscuro paintings from the Renaissance, via the Swedish 19th century painter Marcus Larson’s equally empty and violent fantasy landscapes, all the way to the tourism adverts of our own time.

Martin Jacobson (b 1978, based in Stockholm) is educated at Örebro Art School and Malmö Art Academy. Selected exhibitions: The Collectors, Venice Biennale; The Beauty of Distance, Sydney Biennale; Excursions, Akvarellmuseet and Norrtälje konsthall. He has made the scenography for Jonas Gardell’s stageshow Queen of F*cking Everything in Stockholm.

Thanks to: Andréhn-Schiptjenko, Swedish Arts Council, RegionJönköping County, Värnamo Municipality and the Partners of Vandalorum: Hamrin, Liljedahl, Svenstig
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^{Photo: John Nelander}