« Dialogue » is the key word to describe Heine Skjerning’s new works. Amidst uncontrolled intentions – argument and counter argument – modifications and contradictions – the artist pursues a conversation with the pictorial space, a quest for spatiality within two dimensionality. Flirting with perspective in its classical depth as well as the formal modernist space he plays with our bearings. With his superimposition of ideas and surface tensions Heine Skjerning creates a new, very open space also reflecting the reality of the creation of painting itself: layer above layer.
The works are composed of areas of concentrated gesture and colour vibration occasionally opening up onto a background space. Surfaces are punctuated with figurative elements or geometric shapes forming other planes.
The references are numerous (Conceptual Art, Constructivism, Lyrical Abstraction and Surrealism) however, Heine Skjerning’s aim is not to inscribe himself within any form of ism; he seeks a maximum of freedom like in a game of associations similar to the surrealists Exquisite Corpses. This explains the presence of a rabbit head born from a blot in the corner of a painting composed of diverse geometric shapes. Humour is called upon just as much as poetry for an approach which is both playful and intellectual. The writing itself varies between extreme precision, supple suggestions and ample gestures.

Colour plays a significant role in his recent works: the painting Eva Have (Eve’s Garden) from 2009 inspired by a study of the classical Garden of Paradise with its mix of marvelous and horror, initiated his use of colour as light: the artist allows small sparks of light to emerge from the surface. The spectrum of blue has found its role in Heine Skjerning’s painting: he can finally make the colour ‘come alive’ as he has been able to do so in other more textured materials; similarly, he attaches an importance to the colour white and those tonalities which ‘barely exist’, leaving large ‘void’ spaces in a number of his works.
Another element in Skjerning’s work is time. Oil painting requires time – the drying time of each layer of paint. For the artist time stands still when it is spent working in his studio where a part of his life is transformed into ‘materialized time’. This aspect of his practice is very present in his ‘palette-paintings’ some of which are 25 years old. Over all these years the artist has applied thin and lacerated layers of oil paint composing what could almost be described as ‘uncontrolled paintings’. His only applied intention is to direct colour towards a grey tonality producing a beautiful texture. Alluding to Marcel Duchamp and the idea that the institution creates the artwork, Heine Skjerning frames his “finished” palettes with dense silver leaf frames. Thus, time is really frozen; the frames become ‘coffins’ for the palettes…

The UNTITLED exhibition presents a selection of paintings and drawing/collages, however, Heine Skjerning’s work (1960-…) also includes sculpture and installation. Taken as a whole it is formed by different aspects of a non compartmentalized universe – a personal alphabet in permanent evolution is established with the elements created in this wide practice. The scale varies between the very small format and the monumental. Some shapes first realized in sculpture can also be found, in a modified version, in painting and drawing; just as his questioning of the space to paint plane relation is a natural continuation of what he expresses in his installations.

The artist regularly exhibits – mainly in Scandinavia. In 2003 he was selected for the Carnegie art award 2003 exhibition presented at the Victoria Miro Warehouse in London as well as at the Kunsthalle, Helsinki. He received the Danish State Art Fund grant (Statens Kunstfond, Danemark) in 2002 and has realized numerous public space commissions.
Heine Skjerning regularly collaborates with Danish poet Simon Grotian for whom he has created book covers and illustrated three collections of poems.

• From 26.04.2010 Heine Skjerning’s works will be visible on www.marialund.com
  
• PUBLISHING: of a leaflet with reproductions of a selection of works and a poem by Simon Grotrian.
  
• OPENING: Thursday 29th April 2010 from 6 to 9pm, the artist will be present.
• The exhibition ends Saturday 5th June 2010.
  

For further information about the  availability of visuals, please contact :

GALERIE MARIA LUND     48 rue de Turenne     75003 Paris     Tuesday-Saturday 12-7 pm    
ph : (33) 01 42 76 00 33    cellphone : (33) 06 61 15 99 91    fax :(33) 01 42 76 00 10