Blood Barrier Painting

Oerjan Midtbo is an Oslo based Norwegian artist who has been working in mixed media paintings and sculptures for over a decade. The use of acrylic forms the base of his work, with elements of oil paint, spray paint, ink, and markers added. His early work often included installations consisting of both two- and three-dimensional objects. These installations would be a mix of wall-painting, painting on flat profile aluminum, painting on found objects, photorealistic anatomical drawings, non-narrative video, and some recorded performance. While being a student at The Norwegian National Academy of Arts, the artist's form evolved in the early 2000s through several stages within a few years. In addition to being involved in the trash-aesthetic expressions prevalent at the time, he also contrasted this by working in minimalistic space. One example of this would be his braille sculptures that merged the purely visual with physical interaction and written language. Visually he has kept traces of these early periods in his more recent work. Examples of this are the projects like "The Mockups" that revisualize mass-produced type of products by incorporating wrapping from his old paintings, or his newer minimal floor installations using painted wooden cubes to form QR codes. His paintings could be said to simulate metaphysical landscapes or dreamscapes. The stories that play out in these various scapes include abstracted figures, people, nature, or animals. Visually the paintings invoke a sense of urgency, noise, or silence. Scenes are frequently built and deconstructed through layers of contrasting signal colors, dripping graffiti-like references, and a chaotic base. The visual dynamic of the work draws on a sense of visual overload. It gives the impression of something compressed or dense. This numbing concentration of colors points to abstract processes and movements towards looser visual forms. In this morphing, distinct lines shoot forth in conclusive bursts creating tension between hardness and softness. The titles are often of heightened importance. The artist sees them as a catalyst or key to unlocking interpretations of the viewer's visual journey. They sometimes include symbolically charged words or numbers, like biblical references. Some paintings or sculptures will interact through the use of QR-codes that facilitates as a secondary layer of interpretation.