One of the advantages you have when you buy art books is that you frequently encounter artists and their publications you have never heard of and Leonard Forslund was one of them, Intrigued by his “contour” paintings i learned that he has been active for quite some time now and has deservedly acquired a good reputation in the art world.
Leonard Forslund (b. 1959) is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Since his breakthrough in the mid-80’s, he has exhibited widely in Denmark, Sweden and other countries. Forslund works with a new definition of painting. His subject matter frequently includes recognizable objects or photographic material isolated against a monochromatic surface. This focus triggers the meanings. A stark contrast emerges between the recognizable, evocative element and the alienation the spectator feels when experiencing an abrupt lack of perspective and context. The artist often makes a virtue out of bringing together several perspectives – scientific, personal, spatial or historical/political – on a single plane, rendering the painting ambiguous and enabling new connections of meaning to emerge across the given elements. Forslund challenges the spectator’s self-image, in the redefinition of his or her own point of view and way of thinking. Leonard Forslund lives and work in Copenhagen.
This 1989 publication is now available at http://www.ftn-books.com
