Artist Statement

My “Arial View” series, came about by simply exploring what was laying around in my studio. I noticed for weeks I had an old table top which I usually use for paint to mix on, and realized by closer inspection that the composition of the paint and tools created a scenery that reminded me of an arial view of a landscape.

It in fact recalled a personal experience of mine back in 1991 during my Gulf War tour, when I flew over the frontline combat area in Iraq by chopper and was able to see the devastation that was done by US forces. Since I have been painting largely 2 dimensional landscapes from traditional angles until now, i thought it would be interesting to explore a different angle, keeping my subject matter in a similar direction and seeing what would happen and what I could find.

The paintings are still ambiguous, perhaps even more immediate and raw and could be mounted horizontal as table or on walls for viewers to experience what at first sight may appear as chaotic but yet in order. My subject matters continue to investigate what is happening in the current century and follows a fast moving transformation of the world order and the condition of populists and earth and reflects my personal experience through landscape gestural paintings.

Marcus Jansen