March 2003
Anders Knutsson
Brooklyn, New York
aknutsson@aol.com
www.andersknutsson.com
Anders Knutsson was born in Sweden and moved to the U.S. in 1967. His work has been exhibited since 1972 in over 35 one-man shows and 40 group shows. In 1980, he began working with pigments that have unique phosphorescent properties. Different from the typical pigments that reflect light, these pigments emit colored light in the dark. The light from the paint fades at different rates of time for different colors, ranging from one minute to many hours.
He works with luminosity by mixing these phosphorescent pigments with traditional ground color pigments and acrylic medium or oil & wax. The paintings should be viewed in the dark as well as under traditional gallery lights. In the light, the paintings are light filled and luminous. In the dark, each color changes in tone and intensity at a different rate of speed. Light has been used in painting to suggest the existence of another force, a non material world, an inner reality we all know exists and whose presence is of vital importance to painting as art, regardless of style and time. Luminosity is not only the material but it is also a concept of light - a unique kind of light that is different from the type of light that comes from the sun, or from a light bulb. Luminosity has a metaphorical content that Anders is exploiting as an artist.
Fifteen years ago, he began painting trees. For Anders, trees are a visually powerful way to express light, organic form and the not-so-flat world. The trees that he paints are actual trees that grow in the area where he lives or has visited. To Anders, trees are symbols of strength, endurance and longevity – not only practical providers of shade, oxygen, shelter, fruit. They are metaphors for life and carry universal and eternal symbolism (such as the tree of Life, of Knowledge, the Buddha tree, Yggdrasil). “Once painted these trees become a reflection of us – they carry our projected symbolism.” Anders continues to work with trees as a subject matter and phosphorescent pigments as a material whose properties he is still unlocking.
The pigments require that the paintings be viewed in the light and in the dark. Each painting is shown in two views: full gallery light and as they appear with the lights off. They are presented here as Flash animations, so move your mouse over the images to turn off the lights.
