Latina, contemporary artists Oreian, Collins and Helin on exhibition on the theme of nature

MONTI8 Gallery in Latina announce Hideaway, its first exhibition of 2021, featuring the work of three international artists-Radu Oreian, James Collins, and Ludvig Helin. The exhibition revolves around the theme of nature, developed in different ways by each artist. Through the use of surfaces and textures reminiscent of natural paths, the works recreate a kind of large map and nature trail. This relationship with nature guides the artist in exploring multiple issues and images related to culture, history, memory and identity.

In Radu Oreian’s work, for example, the artist is mainly inspired by literature, ancient legends and mythology, through which he makes the ancient world coexist with a contemporary and precious language. His paintings are so rich in detail and layering that they testify to a very careful technique, which he also uses to reinterpret such an ancient tradition as the miniature. The viewer is invited to look at these works as intricate maps, in which, however, it is impossible to recognize a precise location.

James Collins moves on the boundary between painting and sculpture. His production is entirely characterized by the superimposition of multiple layers and agglomerates of oil, resulting in rough-looking surfaces. Dark and intense, these works are reminiscent of concrete roads or, more likely, the muddy cover of certain forests. Like these soils, Collins’ works are marked by lines, similar to natural ruts and patterns. The artist traces complex compositions on the canvas, which can be seen as paths or as a drawing of symbols incomprehensible to us. However, in his paintings it is easy to detect a geometric order and controlled gesture, elements that generate a tension between reasoned painting and the wilder side of nature, from which he draws ample inspiration.

Finally, Ludvig Helin’s abstraction is imbued with atmospheres peculiar to Nordic landscapes, such as those of his homeland, Sweden. His soft, dense brushstrokes construct romantic, unspoiled scenery that evokes a sense of mystery and silence. In his practice, Helin makes nature the sole subject: his landscapes are equally monumental and intimate, instilling in the viewer feelings such as peace and quiet, but also solitude and awe. Ranging from bright and vivid colors to darker tones, from lights to shadows, this artist gives fascinating sceneries that seem to offer a place for meditation and, at the same time, reveal man’s failure to master nature.

The title Hideaway can thus be read through multiple planes. It can, for example, refer to the aesthetics of the works, which appear precisely as dense paths hiding something. In addition, Hideaway can point to nature as a place to seek refuge.

The exhibition is open until Feb. 27.

For all information you can visit the official MONTI8 website.

Pictured: James Collins, Liquid engineers 36 (2020; oil on panel, 22 x 30 x 5 cm)

Latina, contemporary artists Oreian, Collins and Helin on exhibition on the theme of nature

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