Press Release

Richard Levy Gallery is pleased to present a selection of new paintings by Swedish artist, Per Mårtensson. At the intersection of minimalism and conceptualism, these artworks present viewers with a reference for the very setting in which they are viewing them, the gallery.

Per Mårtensson starts with a concept of a painting, which is usually a meditation on the abstract nature of painting. Then he formulates details of the painting, its media, style, and form. Works in this show are from the Version series, based on images of installations, that is, rooms in a gallery. He re-presents images of the gallery in pristine, painted form as a reference point for both art viewing and art making. This work comments on the connection between the white cube of the gallery, and the white canvas of a painter. These small, meticulous paintings resonate with the Northern European tradition of interior paintings as well as referencing contemporary sources, Ed Ruscha’s sixteen gas stations and parking lots, and William Anastasi’s exhibition of photographs of empty walls of the gallery.

A graduate of Sweden’s Malmö Art Academy, Mårtensson has exhibited widely throughout Europe. He is featured in several prominent collections in Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Mexico and the United States. This is his first show in the United States.

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Dates: October 19–November 30, 2007
Reception: November 3, 6–8 pm
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 11 am–4 pm
Location: 514 Central Avenue SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Contact: 505.766.9888, info@levygallery.com, www.levygallery.com @levygallery