"The paintings are always a balance between referencing something from the past and mixing it with something from the present. In the middle space you sometimes find something new." - Erik Olson
I first discovered Erik Olson's paintings whilst scrolling through the web (via my Tumblr feed.) I had been searching for painted images of faces for quite some time, but nothing seemed to hold my attention until I discovered Olson's series entitled Architecture Of The Face.
Each image in this series gives what are seemingly anxious or vacant expressions a sense of happiness and vitality. Olson uses bold primary colours and angular shapes to encapsulate his subjects in images which for me portray not just the subject's feelings but the act of experiencing emotion in itself.
Describe yourself in three words
Red, Yellow, Blue
What inspired you to create these images (Architecture Of The Face)?
I wanted to see what I could do with portraiture. The paintings are always a balance between referencing something from the past and mixing it with something from the present. In the middle space you sometimes find something new.
How did you go about choosing the subjects for these portraits?
They’re of my friends, people I’m interested in, people I hang with.
What are you working on at the moment?
Last week I had a large solo show open at the Douglas Udell Gallery in Canada. I just returned to the studio from that trip and I’m now stretching up new canvases as I prepare for a series of exhibitions in New York, Vancouver and Central Canada.
Describe your ideal working atmosphere
The ideal comes and goes but I’ve got a pretty sweet working environment at the moment. The studio is in an old brick building, downtown by the train tracks. I’ve had isolated studios out in the mountains before but nowadays I'm in the city with the studio door open… Friends drop by, music is on; it’s pretty lively.
What was the last exhibition you attended?
Peter Doig: No Foreign Lands Do you have any UK exhibitions planned in the near future? I’m pretty busy with shows in North America at the moment but in the Fall I’ll be moving to Dusseldorf, so I’ll be closer to the UK! I can’t wait to show in London again.
Does music influence your work in any way? Name three of your favorite bands/musicians.
There’s always music in the studio. There’s something about the repetition in music that helps me to maintain a particular emotional pitch in each painting. I listen to all kinds of stuff: Anything from The War on Drugs to Beck remixes of Philip Glass, Jay-Z to Charlie Parker.