FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2023
Florum Somnia: Flowers Dreaming: Artist Bob Landström brings a new collection of volcanic rock paintings
to Morton Contemporary Art Gallery in Philadelphia
Bioyino, 2023, Pigmented Volcanic Rock on Canvas, 30 x 30 inches
Philadelphia, PA – Artist Bob Landström brings his new collection of signature volcanic rock paintings, titled Florum Somnia: Flowers Dreaming, to Morton Contemporary Art Gallery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
With the collection’s arrival at Morton Contemporary, Landström’s work introduces Philadelphia to the artist’s one-of-a-kind painting practice using crushed, pigmented volcanic rock using techniques developed after years of experimentation. With each grain of volcanic rock individually pigmented and painted in thick layers, Landström achieves striking color combinations not possible when using traditional liquid paint.
After debuting his ongoing series Florum Somnia in a solo exhibition in Atlanta, Georgia, Landström’s Florum Somnia: Flowers Dreaming collection arrives at Morton Contemporary with new works from the titular series as well as from other recent series. As the title suggests, Landström’s mixed media paintings examine the communication and sentience of plant life by depicting imaginary environments where such transmissions become visual, stemming from his research into scientific studies and literature, plant medicine, and plant sound recordings made in his studio. Additional paintings in the collection similarly touch on subjects related to communication and the transmission of invented symbols and meaning. Together, these paintings offer visual enigmas that are as captivating as they are illusive.
The collection will be on view at Morton Contemporary Art Gallery located at 115 S. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. To view more please visit: www.mortoncontemporary.com
13363 kHz, 2019, Pigmented Volcanic Rock on Canvas, 48 x 72 inches
About Bob Landström
Bob Landström is an artist who primarily works with crushed, pigmented volcanic rock. His abstract paintings, with their highly granulated texture and color combinations only achieved through such a medium, reconsider our relationship with meaning by eliciting the iconography of ancient languages, science, religions, and mysticism.
Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Landström studied fine art by invitation at Carnegie-Mellon University. He later continued his fine art education at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. Landström also earned a Bachelor and Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.
Landström’s work has exhibited extensively and can be found in public, private, and corporate collections around the world. He is the winner of the 1993 SOHO International Competition in New York, the 1994 and 2002 Open Studios National Competition, and other awards. When not in the studio, Landström spends considerable time abroad and has visited archeological sites across the world, which inform his studies and artistic practice.
Landström currently lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia.
Website: www.boblandstrom.com
Instagram: @boblandstrom
About Morton Contemporary Art Gallery
Morton Contemporary Art Gallery, with two premier locations in the heart of Philadelphia, is the culmination of 15 years of love for fine contemporary art. The diverse contemporary art collection ranges from original works on canvas to sculpture, mixed-media, and photography. Morton Contemporary specializes in representing and promoting innovative emerging and established artists from around the world. A special passion of owner, Debbie Morton, is working with artists who specialize in the use of unusual forms of mixed-media.
Website: www.mortoncontemporary.com
Instagram: @mortoncontemporary
