PRESS RELEASE

LONE MERTZ
"I HAVE WATER IN MY EYES"

Stalke Galleri presents an exhibition of new works by Lone Mertz.

In recent years, she has explored the relationship between art and life, expressed through a glass box, most recently installed in the Himalayas, breaking the boundaries between art and life. The red-painted "Restaurant Tibet" at Blågårds Plads in Copenhagen, for instance, would not have existed without this work and its many implications.

Stalke is therefore excited to welcome a traditional exhibition of painting and photo montage. Lone Mertz has not shown this part of her work separately since 1990, the year of her then-husband, painter Albert Mertz's, death.

Lone Mertz's paintings are inspired by experiences of nature. Flowers as large as oneself, falling water in gold and silver, transparent water surfaces, or monochrome image planes that create pauses and calm in the visual flow. On her travels to the East and Iceland, she has photographed. These photos form the starting point for several works in the exhibition. Residing on an island, she has always lived close to the sea and always painted it. The water element is colorless, both transparent and reflective.

The paintings in the Stalke exhibition are large and relate to the human body. The choice of materials and treatment of paint are directly related to the content presented. The painting process is a boundless dialogue, a dynamic presence in the moment. At its best, the paintings have almost formed themselves, layer upon layer upon layer.

The works are created on canvas or windbreak material. The paint consists of pigments allowed to flow into water and glue, sand, kaolin, silver, handmade paint, and other materials on hand, which can materialize the content.

As a commentary showing the work of painting within life, a series of photo montages are exhibited, often featuring snapshots of Albert Mertz. Lone Mertz looks back at an extension of her painting, which she began in the 1980s. Reflecting on this fact, the American artist Lawrence Weiner noted: “We all have water in our eyes.”

The exhibition has been installed in collaboration with visual artist Marianne Xenia Lassen.