It was good to see Georg Gudni made so welcome at the opening of "The Nature of Landscape and Independent Perception", at Track 16 Gallery. Los Angeles can be a place of noise and distraction in so many ways. His work takes time and a certain amount of quiet meditation to fully appreciate, but as many people have seen over the past couple of days, making the effort to take in his landscapes in a simple way can be rewarding.

Since first meeting him, his work, and his native Iceland a few years ago, my admiration for his painting has continued to grow. He has some imitators, but no one else captures the essence of that country, nor is able to build light with paint as Georg does. It is not surprising that his art is so prized in Scandinavia, and by a very few (so far) discerning collectors in North America. His paintings will be on display until the 18th of february at Track 16, a space that is "made" for their expansive and hypnotic quality. If you are in the neighbourhood or have time to get there before the show closes, I strongly recommend going to the gallery just to stand in front of his work, just for the sheer pleasure of going to his places. You will walk away inspired. Thanks to those who have already gone to see!

Viggo Mortensen