"I have always been entranced by the ability of music to evoke images and stories in the mind of the listener. Sound and music are closely linked in my drawings. In concrete terms, one of my interests as a visual artist is the depiction of music / sound production in the sense that the main purpose of an instrument or a voice - to produce sound - can only be experienced in the imagination of the viewer. If I draw someone who sings or plays an instrument, the very content and quality of sound creation are aspects that the viewer is left to fantasise freely about. On a more abstract level, I often think that my drawings 'sound'. This could be the strike of lightning, the wind whipping a tree, or a darkness rumbling like a tuba. In practice, I never work in complete silence."
Jeff Olsson is an artist based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Working primarily with charcoal on paper, Jeff often finds inspiration for his drawings through the exploration of his natural surroundings. To him, places can give off an energy that can be difficult to put into words and is otherwise best felt, or even heard. Olsson has found a way to capture and channel this energy into his work, creating mysterious, evocative scenes that reveal only so much. The viewer is left hanging in a state of unease and suspense, reliant solely on their imagination to determine how the story might unfold.
"I have always been entranced by the ability of music to evoke images and stories in the mind of the listener. Sound and music are closely linked in my drawings. In concrete terms, one of my interests as a visual artist is the depiction of music / sound production in the sense that the main purpose of an instrument or a voice - to produce sound - can only be experienced in the imagination of the viewer. If I draw someone who sings or plays an instrument, the very content and quality of sound creation are aspects that the viewer is left to fantasise freely about. On a more abstract level, I often think that my drawings 'sound'. This could be the strike of lightning, the wind whipping a tree, or a darkness rumbling like a tuba. In practice, I never work in complete silence."
Born in Kristinehamn, Sweden in 1981, Jeff Olsson lives and works in Gothenburg. He is represented by Galleri Magnus Karlsson in Stockholm, Sweden and has been exhibited widely over the past 10 years.