'Visual Narratives' - Show by Nicolai Larsen curated by Ruth Waters at the Caldwell Gallery

'Visual Narratives'

curated by Ruth Waters

at the Caldwell Gallery in Redwood City County Government Center
Showing through October 31 2008
400 County Center, Redwood City
Hours: Monday-Friday 9-5

Nicolai Larsen tells stories - with paint. People. Travels. Dreams. Encounters. All sorts of experiences find their way in his canvasses, and now to the walls of the Caldwell Gallery in Redwood City's County Government Center.

Larsen refers to his current work as Postmodern Surrealism or, alternatively, as Archetypes for the New Millennium.

Larsen's recent work Nicolai’s recent work juxtaposes fashion models, burning appliances and random imagery, set in a landscape of the subconscious. His ideas are drawn from dreams, disjointed images and reflections from newspaper headlines. His work is a form of therapy to process issues such as worldwide social disruption, war, disasters, global warming and Reality TV. His paintings provide a sense of wonder, propose questions, and share comic relief.

“Buddha on my Dashboard” represents the search for the sanctuary of Nirvana, with the landscape and ocean as paradise, all viewed through the windshield of a moving vehicle.

Most of the paintings are done with acrylics on canvas or panels. Detailed designs are often drawn before beginning a painting. Brush and airguns are his main method of applying paint to the surface. He also work in watercolors and oils. Some of his designs are for large scale mural work.