Ricard Larsson? Never heard. This may be an error. At least one doyen of the German art scene is impressed by the work of the painter and sculptor: Kasper König. “The man is a serious artist and pacifist,” says a card that he sent to the editorial office together with Larsson’s catalog book – that’s saying something. And Verena Kerfin, Larsson’s gallery owner, is very happy to make an appointment to visit Larsson’s studio in the Uferhallen in Wedding. For everyone who is interested in their work. An email to Galerie Bark Berlin is sufficient.
Ricard Larsson is no longer quite the age when breakthroughs happen. A 69-year-old artist usually has that behind him. Nevertheless, Kerfin is convinced that “Larsson’s works belong in museums”. This is exactly what she wants to work on, encouraged by König. So far there are only a few texts about Ricard Larsson on the Internet, but there are pictures of his work. On his website, the Instagram account, on the website of the Noack bronze foundry, which not only casts his sculptures, but also dedicated an exhibition to him in 2018.
The consistency with which the artist avoids self-explanations appeals to him in a garrulous world – vanity and courting attention are often inseparable partners in the art world.
Is Larsson supposed to be a fierce misanthrope, as exclusively black as his oeuvre makes out to be? As grotesque, as teeming as the human race disintegrating into hundreds of miniature creatures, flooding the world in his sculptures and drawings? What the “Black Metal” catalog shows is confirmed in the studio in the Uferhallen: Larsson’s bronzes only have a matt patina, and that is black. In his paintings, some of which hang up on the walls of the hall, white serves as the greatest possible contrast. Black and white, night and day, these are Larsson’s poles, which are united in his paintings “Hell Nord” or “Arena”, which are also covered with teeming people.
Its creator is a friendly, smiling gentleman in jeans, whose sculpture “Concert” reveals that he is a rocker – as is his long hair. However, one with a quiet voice, who answers questions about work and life in dribbling sentences. He prefers to let his sculptures do the talking, he says. “They have their own language.” In the almost 20 years that the Swede, who trained as a painter at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm, has been living in Berlin after years in Florence, he has stuck to English. Why not. “I spend most of my time in the studio.”
He shares this with his companion Yael Graetz, in whose art one finds the colors that Larsson despises. Plants and cats also live here. A honey-colored one is sweeping around the corner, a black-brown patterned one is sitting over there.
Actually, wax is red or yellow, says Larsson. However, he adds black color as he heats, then quickly forms one of his creatures. He has five minutes per human until the material hardens again. Why does he color the material, which has to evaporate completely under the heat of the later bronze casting process so that the sculpture doesn’t explode? “Because it gives me a better idea of what the figure looks like in bronze. Besides, it fits.”
And how it fits. Surrounded by these grotesquely jostling, chaotically tumbling creatures, one believes one can feel the hopeless chaos of human societies. Larsson sketches the final form of the sculpture beforehand, then the creatures that will make it up are formed.
The wax sculptures, from which negative molds are made in the Noack foundry, await the final casting in a separate area of the studio. In the summer months, a cooling machine had to keep them from melting. When Larsson uncovers a corner to look in, one sees a black shimmering wax mountains next to the other. It is not difficult to guess that the final production of the bronze sculptures, which sometimes weigh 750 kilos, also has its price at Noack. The artist prefers not to reveal anything specific.
Rocket, Escalator, Train, Pumping Jacks, Drones – these are the names of his works, which often show technical objects that can also be used for military purposes. The Bronze Age marked the beginning of civilization. In Larsson’s bronzes, it also seems to herald its end. The aircraft called “Touchdown” immediately triggers associations with fighter jets. And Anselm Kiefer’s airplanes. “Cloud” shows a stylized mushroom cloud in the form of a jellyfish with people and earth stuck to its threads. “Fata Morgana” gathers people on an island who rip the gas masks off each other’s faces. They are dystopian, aggressive scenarios.
Larsson, however, enjoys them. He feels alive while shaping, doesn’t even have to look at the lump of wax while kneading. “It’s great fun to create your own universe.”
The result doesn’t look fun, Mr. Larsson! “For me it is. There is also humor in the crawling figures.” It is the gallows humor of an observer who registers war and capitalism with an astonished shake of the head. “The world is crazy,” he says. “I criticize systems that tell people what to do.” Even the individuals themselves? He shakes his head: “People are good.” Now all they have to do is discover the museum-readiness of Ricard Larsson’s art.
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Source: Tagesspiegel
I am a technology author with 8 years of experience in journalism. My writing covers the latest technology advancements and trends, drawing on my expertise in news journalism and social media platforms. I have contributed to major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.
