Mads Gamdrup: One Hour with Butterflies

Mads Gamdrup

Born in Copenhagen, DK, 1967
Lives and works in Copenhagen, DK

Mads Gamdrup explores the interplay of light and color across various artistic mediums. With over three decades dedicated to photography, his entry to painting, may appear radical at first glance. Yet, within the context of Gamdrup's artistic evolution, this transition feels not just logical but essential to his ongoing exploration of light. He has consistently sought to distill his artistic vision, stripping away representational elements to focus solely on light's emotive power; constantly emphasizing its relation to both color and material.

In his glass paintings, he employs thick acrylic circles on hand-rolled, stained-glass sheets, creating compositions that accentuate the contrast between lights relation to paint and glass. Similarly, his Monochrome Colour Noise-series sees heavy layers of raw pigment applied to canvas, relying only on varying viscosity to evoke color contrast. Though initially imposing, these works reveal a subtle materiality achieved through the apparent presence of raw pigment. Despite the departure from photography in his recent works, Gamdrup's artistic sensibilities remain rooted in his background; his foray into painting represents not a rupture but a continuation and deepening of his artistic inquiry.

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