In its first exhibition this year, Pretty Portal presents Morten Andersen and Base23, two more artists belonging to the Urban Art movement. Morten Andersen has attracted attention with his rhythmic forms and colors swirling across the canvas, while Base23 has done so with his creatures reminiscent of 23rd-century Native American totems. Base23's powerful, figurative works contrast with Morten Andersen's abstract pieces, thus creating an iridescent arc of tension together.
"Hell Hounds From The North" Base 23/ Morten Andersen Vernissage 25.03.2011, from 7 PM Exhibition 25.03. - 29.04.2011Morten Andersen:
Morten Andersen paints and distorts lines and shapes in the style of Neo Abstraction, also known as Abstract Urban Contemporary Art, a modern movement that includes artists such as Futura2000, Boris Tellegen, and José Parla.
In his works, Morten Andersen channels his intense relationship with curved lines, abstract forms, overlays, and graphic patterns. He transforms these into a rhythmic universe of hues, complemented by strong contrasts and powerful visual elements. His paintings are energetic and pulsate with an exuberant richness of detail. The elements of his paintings fan out before the viewer's eyes and flow together like the waves of a surf to form a whole. Layered color planes, diverse forms, and elements reveal to the viewer an insight into the emotional and rational world of the artist.Morten Andersen's career is marked by a long-standing engagement with graffiti. His intensive work with spray paint led him from typographic elements to an increasingly free and abstract world of colors and forms. Morten's signature shows his artistic origins and the development into his current creative cosmos.
BASE23:Gigantic creatures, fusions of animal and machine, South American deities from the future, and Chinese dragons, Native American totems, and Tiki figures are among the creations of the artist BASE23.
In a rather grey, urban environment, BASE23 does not shy away from colors when bringing his figures to life. His works glow brightly and captivate the viewer. His mystical animal gods awaken on the canvases, step into a pragmatic world, and conquer their place in the viewer's consciousness with the weapon of pop. Perfectly formed and full of martial power, his futuristic gods find their way into urban space.
BASE23 combines pop surrealism with graffiti, ethnic imagery with science fiction. In 1989, he discovered the spray can as a creative tool and continuously developed his use of it. Base23 studied graphic design and typography, and works and lives as a freelance artist in Berlin. In recent years, galleries in Barcelona, London, Melbourne, Paris, and Berlin have shown his paintings.