Lars Hartmann

Lars Hartmann’s “canvases” are made from blocks of destitute advertising posters torn from their resting place and given new life. Like the rings of some sort of gritty urban tree, each layer marks a period of time and tells a story. The paper is aged naturally by sun and rain, and Hartmann embraces the unique structure of each individual block of paper when it is painted white like a whitewashed church wall.

Lars Hartmann’s work uses a countless number of nails. They stand with painstaking precision at similar depths and distances. The laborious work of hammering reflects the dyslexic’s struggle with text, but offers an extra dimension when the light and shadows change.

Cracks have a special significance for Lars Hartmann. He sees the crack as an opening to other dimensions and new discoveries. It is in the gap that life itself begins.

A teachers’ red pen marks your errors. When you get a 0 on your essay, it doesn’t result in learning, but rather shame. Lars Hartmann uses red silk thread to show us how the red marks tie up the mind, blur your vision, and block the cracks to new dimensions

Blind spots are areas in our lives where our perception and understanding are limited or obstructed. They can exist within ourselves, in our relationships, and in the world around us. These blind spots can hinder our growth, limit our potential, and even lead to harmful consequences. Lars Hartmann wisses to cultivating self-awareness and explore human blind spots and their impact on our lives.

As a child, Lars Hartmann discovered that lyrics refused to let him in and the despair was black. Today he is investigating how to use nails to make even deep, matte black pigment open up and create perspective for the viewer.

The purposefully heavy-duty cast iron frame is part of the work. It puts an abrupt full stop to Lars Hartmann’s investigations and can be interpreted as the artist’s experience of being put in a stall, but is also a reminder of the unexplored that awaits beyond