Mattias Härenstam

Who's afraid...?

Video and painting installation 1996. Finger-paint on paper taped to the floor (3x3 m), video and wall painting. The video starts out with a blank paper and three boxes of finger-paint (red, yellow and blue). The artist enters naked and starts painting, at same time as he keeps singing a Swedish children's song "Jag ska måla hela världen lilla mamma" (I will paint the whole world, little mum). The lyrics tell the story of a child trying to cheer up a somewhat depressed mother with its drawings and paintings. The session ends with the artist writing, "Who's afraid of red, yellow and blue?" in the middle of the drawing. The wall painting is an enlargement of an actual child drawing titled: En mamma ritad av Mattias 6/3 -74 (A mother by Mattias 6/3 -74).

First shown at Bergen Fine Arts Society (now Bergen Kunsthall) in May 1996. Later it was included in the show "Twisted", curated by Galleri Struts and toured by Riksutstillingene (National Touring Exhibitions) during 1996 - 1997.