Rits rats 2004

Editor: A rush of movement; sunshine fragmented through branches perhaps? Curator: We are looking at Rune Jansson's "Rits rats," created in 2004 using oil and acrylic paint with impasto. Jansson’s mark-making here is fascinating in its simultaneous freedom and restraint. Notice how the thick impasto amplifies the gestural qualities of the brushstrokes. Editor: Yes, those strokes – the yellows and browns, slashed with stark black lines – suggest layers of experience, buried memories maybe? The black reminds me of boundaries, like lines in cartography. Curator: Indeed. The stratified composition compels the eye to oscillate between figure and ground, line and plane, a kind of visual fugue that resists immediate resolution. Each mark exists independently, yet contributes to an overall dynamic equilibrium. Semiotically speaking, we might consider the implied diagonal lines as vectors guiding our perception, creating spatial tension. Editor: The yellow seems dominant, almost joyful. But it's interrupted, challenged by the darkness. I sense a struggle between optimism and… what, constraint? Those horizontals are heavy. Perhaps Jansson is presenting how memory changes and gets edited and curated, not by us, but unconsciously. Curator: A perceptive observation. While an intentional representation remains elusive, one might interpret the colour contrasts as emblematic of internal conflict or perhaps different temporal layers. The horizontal lines almost function as visual caesuras – pauses or breaks – impacting the rhythm of the piece. Editor: It’s interesting how Jansson uses very rudimentary marks, lines mostly, and loops to evoke quite complex emotions. Perhaps a depiction of an emotional state in transition? It reminds me of musical notation or waveforms that try to map a concept with abstraction. Curator: I agree. “Rits rats” achieves a striking articulation through this careful orchestration of color, line, and texture, inviting extended contemplation. Editor: For me, it underscores how powerful even simple lines and colors can be to communicate really profound interior ideas.