Gert Mathiesen and Lars Ahlstrand are old friends. Their lives have taken similar paths. Both have spent a lot of time abroad. Both are painters in their own right. They got together two years ago, after not seeing each other for a while. On a visit to New York, Lars visited Gert's studio, where Gert has lived for the last ten years. They started fooling around with paint together late one night. It was a little like a musician's jam session: they played off each other. They liked the results. Passing a piece back and forth, adding and subtracting to each other's marks, color, composition. All of a sudden painting did not have to be so solitary. They explored areas that each one may not have gone alone. Since that first night, Gert and Lars have completed three more rounds of collaborations (geography does not allow for more-Gert lives in New York City and Lars lives in Copenhagen/India). For a period of time ranging from two weeks to a month. They work intensively to complete a body of work together. And this year, in connection with the show at Max Seidenfaden's gallery in Denmark, Gert and Lars will spend a period of time working together in French artist Judith Farro's studio in Paris and then on to the ceramic studio of German artist Peter Thumm in San Tropez.
Pamela Smilow.