The Duel
Brandt/Martinussen
14.01 – 28.02
Click for virtual tour
A regular fight occurs when the Norwegian artist Marius Martinussen and the German artist Maxim Brandt exhibit their works in Gallery NB. It will be a pictorial duel between figuration and abstraction, between color and form, between the two very different personalities, between Oslo and Berlin.
The duel marks the first show of the year in Galleri NB and presents new works by figurative artist Maxim Brandt (1986) and abstract artist Marius Martinussen (1978).
In a classic duel with rapiers and handguns, drive is expected from the duellants’ side. Along with this exchange of energy comes a creative urge which at its peak is being reflected in an ecstatic audience. In Galleri NBs current duel, the artists meet because of their many contrasts with the intensity in color and light as the main common denominator.
With a confident style, Maxim Brandt and Marius Martinussen excel in their understanding for developing compositions within visual art.
Link to: YouTube discussion between Maxim Brandt and Marius Martinussen
Maxim Brandt
Photolink to the paintings of Maxim Brandt
In Brandt’s works we meet an accuracy behind the released motives. With references to society and the existing surroundings, he makes a wonderful disturbing alternative to our normal perpection and sensuous understanding from symbolic inputs. He combines symbols and elements within a surrealistic wholeness, consequent as a poetic composition. Brandts motives and the language that inspires his practice, have associations among themselves, one word leading to the next one. Likewise we discover that one element lurks behind the next element. In a modern, complex world, we find hundreds of elements intertwined, yet belonging to certain categories in our minds.
The paintings reflects Brandts trained ability to puncture these inherritaged logics, and he takes us skillfully to a dreamlike island made by surreal beauty.
Marius Martinussen
Photolink to the paintings of Marius Martinussen
Marius Martinussen discovers contrasts within a painting by his unique layer-on-top-of-layer-technique, whilst demonstrating his will to explore by using intense painting methods with airbrush combined with slender traces from syringes.
This work process can be called mathematical and harmonic as it is taking form through its own complex path. The language that Martinussen circles around carries a certain depth in it as well as a very focused boldness, which stems from an overarching wish to lose some controle during the creation of his works.
Technically he navigates in various materials using and combining templates, tape and airbrush, which come together in structured motives with a delicate precision. His paintings holds a spaciousness for moments of great fascination.
The duel between Maxim Brandt and Marius Martinussen stages both artists’ abilities for communicating with great originality. The exhibition tributes and highlights the artists’ different qualities and welcomes reflection about what may come across as interesting for all guests who visits The Duel.
Facts:
Title: THE DUEL
Time: 14.01 – 28.02
Opening: Friday the 14th of January at 15:00 – 17:00
Artists:
Maxim Brandt, 1986, Berlin
Marius Martinussen, 1978, Oslo