Unspoken: Morten Lassen

The Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery presents Unspoken, a new exhibition of works on canvas and paper by Danish abstract painter Morten Lassen. Unspoken exemplifies Lassen's unique, process-driven approach to painting. In a conscious effort to untether from the whir of the digital age, the artist works slowly, over time, allowing the effects of colour, texture, line and form to coalesce organically in the creation of his subtle grid-like abstract images.

Whilst avoiding formal associations, the paintings in Unspoken invite engagement. The geometric structures suggested by the artist’s vertical and horizontal brushstrokes and allusive pencil markings lend a sense of balance within the chaos. Rich swaths of red and turquoise dominate, with ladder-like formations climbing and dissolving into pools of white. There is, perhaps, an unspoken sense of tension between opposing forces, that reflects the varying pressures and consolations of the modern world, capturing Lassen’s desire to go off grid, and escape through his methodical process of creation.

Working in series on multiple pieces concurrently, Lassen constructs each composition over a period of up to a year. Exploring tonal variations, he builds (and scrapes back) layer upon layer of paint through a spontaneous and expressive practice. Forgoing preparatory sketches, the works grow naturally. Each layer informs and alters the next. As Lassen explains, 'The process of creating art is a metaphor for life itself - fluid, dynamic, and rooted in the present moment.'

Morten Lassen, who lives and works in Copenhagen, has exhibited extensively across the UK, Scandinavia, Germany and Australia. His paintings are held in a number of public and private collections including Danske Advokater; the Danish Ministry of the Interior and Health; Den Danske Bank, Haderslev; Ålborg Universitet; KMPG, Sydney; and South Yarra Art Collection, Melbourne, Australia.