"Every painting is a self-portrait" | Artist Mamma Andersson | Louisiana Channel

“You can only draw from your own well. It never runs dry.” Swedish painter Mamma Andersson shares the process and inspiration behind her creative practice.
In the video, Mamma Andersson explains why all of her works are forms of self-portraits: “Sometimes you paint your own demons, the things that you fear or the things that you experience subconsciously, as in a dream,” she says. In her opinion, all artists use themselves: “I don’t think you can find any artists and not just visual artists but also writers and filmmakers, who don’t draw on their own experience. That’s the material that we have.”
Many of Andersson’s paintings reference found imagery: a face from an old issue of Vogue Magazine, a cat from a book of cats, photographs from crime scenes. Most often Andersson uses black and white photographs as a starting point for her work: “If it’s a colour photo, I change it into black and white. Just so that I don’t feel controlled by it. It gives me more freedom if I start with a black and white photo,” she says and continues: “Then I can choose the colours I want. It’s more open.”
“You’ll never see me placing a mobile phone in a painting. Never. They’re so damn ugly,” says Andersson about her paintings. For the most part, she tries to make the works as timeless as possible. On top of that, Mamma Andersson rarely shows faces unless they are the faces of dolls: “As soon as a figure turns their face towards you, your eyes will pause there. That’s true,” she says and elaborates: “A glance is a very dominant thing. I think it has to do with a sort of timidity because when I paint a face, it will often be a doll or some fictional person. It’s easier to meet their glance because they don’t have one.”
Mamma Andersson (b. 1962) is one of Sweden’s most internationally acknowledged artists. She studied at the Royal University College of Fine Arts in Stockholm. She represented Sweden at the Venice Biennale in 2003. In 2005, she won the Carnegie Art Award. Her dreamlike, expressive compositions are often inspired by cinematic imagery, theatre sets, and private interiors. She is represented by Gallery Magnus Karlsson in Stockholm, and by David Zwirner Gallery in New York. Mamma Andersson resides in Stockholm.
Mamma Andersson was interviewed by Marie Laurberg in March 2021 in connection with her solo exhibition ‘Humdrum Days’ at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark.
Camera: Klaus Elmer
Produced and edited by: Roxanne Bagheshirin Lærkesen
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2021
Supported by Den A.P. Møllerske Fond
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:36 Using black and white photographs
02:33 Materials used in the paintings
06:06 On never showing a gaze
07:20 Inspiration
11:31 On 'Hypnosis'
14:03 Self-portraits
15:17 Working with the colour black
16:28 Dolls from a crime scene
18:31 Girlhood

[@thelouisianachannel]

*“Focus on what you find interesting, but immerse yourself in it.” Watch Mamma Andersson share her advice to young artists right here:* kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZPNm3trf6uiZ5I Remember to subscribe to our channel and hit the notification button 🔔 for more videos on art.

[@lightsoutgallery]

beautiful - her lights and darks are always executed perfectly

[@lisengel2498]

Virkeligt interessant - meget fin video om tanker om materialer, maleri, valg af emne, inspirationskilder, frihed i komposition

[@olivierbolton8683]

Great to discover a like minded philosopher... how to live today and transcend material life through paint...tack!

[@123sonner]

I agree.

[@lalewilan]

still my favorite artist

[@coreym8493]

This woman is inspiring and she lays it out smooth and concise. I'll probably forget her name unfortunately but I'll remember her

[@georgegasmatron1]

I'm so glad I click this video.

[@digimanselector3648]

Incredible painter!

"I'm not interested in people who paint like Rembrandt".... dang shots fired! At you know who lol. Great interview and video! Once again, thanks for the quality content Louisiana Channel.

[@danaeland7846]

Who?

[@tgrtgr9286]

Her painting looks like what swedish folk music sounds like

[@hermesnoelthefourthway]

Just subscribed. Very good channel. Greetings from London, England. Noel

[@amab.7557]

Underbart 🇸🇪❤️

[@chlimx]

outro video maravilhoso

[@hermesnoelthefourthway]

There seems to be quite a "Japanese" influence in her work. As there was in Van Gogh's. Noel

[@GiuseppeAllettocontemporaryart]

great video! I've just posted a new video dealing with my own Selfportrait :) greetings from Milan

[@davidfjelstad2495]

Jag gillar Mammas måleri och hon gör intressanta bilder. Men jag tycker alltid det är lika tråkigt med konstnärer som sitter och klagar på det som inte är deras egen stil. Att hon blir äcklad av sådana som målar som Rembrandt? Speciellt med hennes "apfula" stil som jag tror kan vara avtändande för många. I like her paintings and find them interesting. But I'm so fed up with artists complaining about art of other styles. Stating that you're disgusted by painters that paint like Rembrandt make her sound narrowminded, and sort of a stupid statement made by an artist that paints in such an "ugly" style. Thank You for the video Louisiana! I'm looking forward to go and see the show. Love your museum, probably my favorite spot in the world.

[@andror768]

@@magnuskarlsson8655 Hvorfor kan ikke det å male i en førmoderne stil være et like godt utgangspunkt for samtidsmaleri som noe annet? Og er ikke også modernistene minst like ikke-samtidige? Utgjør det egentlig noen forskjell på å male som f.eks. Matisse eller som Rembrandt, sett fra et 2021-perspektiv? Begge er gamle mestere per i dag. Kunst handler også om motrørelser/motstand mot det etablerte, så om det finnes en konsensus blant kunstverdenens definisjonsherskere om at det å male i en stil fra før 1800-tallet ikke er godkjent, så er det kanskje nettopp det man bør gjøre?

[@andror768]

@@magnuskarlsson8655 Takk for utbroderingen! Altså er ikke det å male gammelmesterlig/gammeldags/førmoderne kitsch i seg selv. At det har med innsikter er jeg fullstendig enig i. Forøvrig er det en like stor fallitt å male som om ikke Rembrandt har eksistert, som om Matisse ikke har gjort det. Malere i vår samtid har ulike utgangspunkt og noen er mer influert av enkelte epoker i kunsthistorien enn andre, noen eldre epoker enn andre. Kunsthistorien er for samtidsmaleriet en stor godispåse, hvor ingen biter bør være bedre eller dårligere enn andre.

[@beedeeuniko]

Philip guston avignon