22 December 2012

Ivar Nygaard: Daydreaming

Daydreaming
Ivar Nygaard
25.11.-15.12.12
Brink In'tVeld, Stavanger
paintings and manipulated photos

Explosions of color paintings and interesting digital renderings of photos, in this nice ceramic workshop/gallery at Storhaug in Stavanger. I enjoy mostly the choice of motives and how the mood is enchanced in the photos, making everyday situations into something unique.

Ivar Nygaard: Daydreaming

Ivar Nygaard: Daydreaming

Ivar Nygaard: Daydreaming

Ivar Nygaard: Daydreaming

Ivar Nygaard: Daydreaming

13 December 2012

Ekko

Ekko
by Susanne Christensen and Kenneth Varpe
Official opening 4.12.12
Artwork at Stavanger School of Music and Performing Arts + Stavanger Cathedral School Bjergsted


Ekko

New buildings where creativity is created and celebrated, an orange line linking these buildings to each other and to the history, the regularity of the tidal water, and the sounds of the area triggered by the visitors. These are all features of the commissioned artwork by Susanne Christensen and Kenneth Varpe at Stavanger School of Music and Performing Arts and Stavanger Cathedral School Bjergsted.


Ekko

What you first notice are orange light lines on the facade or on the ground around the buildings. The lines are both horizontal on the ground and vertical on the facades. These lines make strange turns, and after closer study they are all linked together, being one single line. This is marking the historical coastline in this area. Or actually a merged combination of the earlier coastlines. The buildings are linked together by this line, but they are symbolically also linked to the past this way. The fillout of this area (and so many other places in Stavanger) cover the historic coastline, but here it is visualized again.

The light is constantly changing in intensity, reflecting the constant change of the tidal water. The data of the tidal waters are recorded in this area, just on the opposite quayside.

Ekko


Crossing the border between land and water is usually very noticable, it is hard to not notice that you have fallen off the quay into the sea. But we may cross the historical borders all the time not noticing it. Here you do. Crossing the historical lines, sounds emerge from the ground. These are sounds recorded in this area, edited by musical artist Pål Asle Pettersen, and they are triggered by your movement.


Ekko

This is a fantastic work of art with many hidden features and surprises, making a detour from the new Concert Hall worthwhile.

Ekko

10 December 2012

Natasja Askelund: Two of a Kind

Two of a Kind
Natasja Askelund
30.11.12 – 2.2.13
Galleri Opdahl, Stavanger
Paintings covering earlier paintings - a retrospective

Natasja Askelund: Two of a Kind

Natasja Askelund has done something crazy, horrible and brave. She picked some of her favourite paintings and painted them over. This is not like the historical poor artists in lack of material had to paint on their canvases already painted. This is a deliberate action looking back on her line of works through the years. There is no way back, history is history, the paintings are forever gone. What is left are prints of photos of the original works lined up with the new version. 


Natasja Askelund: Two of a Kind

Can we really believe she painted over earlier paintings? And if so, how can we be sure those are her favourites, not some paintings she is happy to get rid of? She answers these questions through her works. Actually the same motive is painted again, only this time in one color only. Only the strokes and the lines are the same, but they reveal what is underneath. And they reveal her urge to repaint the motives.

Natasja Askelund: Two of a Kind
detail

In addition to the old/new diptychs, there are single standing paintings in wild colors. We can not be sure whether these are new paintings or if something is painted over. There are motives that hint to what may have been underneath, but we will never know. We will just have to enjoy what we see and what we imagine may be covered.

Natasja Askelund: Two of a Kind

Natasja Askelund: Two of a Kind


Natasja Askelund: Two of a Kind 
detail

I am thrilled by what she has done in these paintings. In one way I am horrified by the though of losing the paintings forever, but I also see the beauty and the brave act of actually doing this. The originals are not lost, they are just covered, and live on in people's memories. Something new are created, with their immediate appearance and their depth.

05 December 2012

Streetart in Stavanger

Streetart
Found in Stavanger November 2012

 This is what I found in the streets lately:

Stencil found in Stavanger
Faceless boy

Streetart found in Stavanger
Construction and wrestler

Rebel + iddis
These sardine can labels - "iddis" - are put up several places. Not by far as many as the "Rebel"-tags, though

Evol, David Choe, HowNosm, Mask, Rebel
This park under the city bridge is becoming a living gallery, with the power box houses by Evol, the figures by David Choe, the tag of HowNosm and more, and the colorful pieces by Mask and Rebel.

Harry Gelb

Urban tiles by Harry Gelb
Discovered November 2012
The streets of Stavanger
Photo tiles glued onto public walls

I recently made some thrilling discoveries in the East part of Stavanger: strange architectural photos glued onto tiles and glued onto walls. These are the works of Harry Gelb. I was first hoping there was a new artist in town, but it seems he has only been visiting. I also found some of his stickers, and a large, wonderful female paste-up. Hopefully he will return to make more additions, in the meantime we must wander around in town looking for more tiles.

Work by Harry Gelb

Work by Harry Gelb

work by Harry Gelb

Work by Harry Gelb

Work by Harry Gelb

Work by Harry Gelb

work by Harry Gelb

Purple lady 

More of Harry Gelb's work here

Tor SR Thidesen

The November artist
Tor SR Thidesen
27.10.-25.11.12
Galleri Opdahl, Stavanger
Installation

A great choice made by Gallery Opdahl for the artist of the month - November. Since his addition to the graduation exhibition at Rogaland Art School some years ago, I have been enjoying his work. Strange machines, impossible sculptures, often made of garbage or leftovers. Or messages that may seem blunt or even primitive at first glance, but not at second.

Unfortunately the installation was unplugged, it would have been even more impressive seeing the canoe paddles paddle into the air, getting nowhere. 

I am very pleased to see this artist being appreciated, and hope to see more work from him again and again. 

Tor SR Thidesen: (a) Chronology + (a) Psychology
Tor SR Thidesen: (a) Chronology + (a) Psychology



Herman Mbamba & Bernhard Østebø

Artist presentations
Herman Mbamba & Bernhard Østebø
Rogaland Kunstsenter, Stavanger
30.11.12
An R-open arrangement

As there are no open-studio-weekends this year arranged by R-open, there are artist presentations. Earlier this autumn artists from the south of Rogaland presented their work in Haugesund, and this time it was Haugesund-based artists presenting their work in Stavanger. Herman Mbamba presented his large-scale colorful figurative-abstract paintings, while Bernhard Østebø presented his intricate interactive works including architecture, sound, drawing and more.

Herman Mbamba presenting
Herman Mbamba

Herman Mbamba presenting
Herman Mbamba

Bernard Østebø presenting
Bernhard Østebø



Kerrs Pink

Kerrs Pink
Ethos (BR), Pøbel (NO), Ridder (NO), E.B.Itso (DK) and Atle Østrem (NO)
1.12.12.-6.1.13
Bryne Kunstforening
Gallery exhibition of streetart/graffiti based artists

The outdoor is taken inside. The urban figure paintings by Atle Østrem, the public text interventions by E.B.Itso, the graffiti on public railway posters by Ridder, the interventions in Finnmark landscapes and stencil paintings by Pøbel, and the works having unfortunately not arrived yet by Ethos. All mixed into an exhibition of color, humor, creativity and joy. Enough said, enjoy the photos:

 Kerrs Pink - opening speech
Opening speech

Kerrs Pink
Work by Ridder

Kerrs Pink
Work by Ridder

Kerrs Pink
Work by E.B.Itso

Kerrs Pink
Work by Pøbel

Kerrs Pink
Work by Pøbel

Kerrs Pink
Work by Pøbel

Kerrs Pink
Work by Atle Østrem

Kerrs Pink
Work by Atle Østrem

Kerrs Pink
Work by Atle Østrem

Kerrs Pink

Kerrs Pink

29 November 2012

Streetart in Tallinn

Urban art
The streets of Tallinn
November 2012
Streetart

This is what I found this November in Tallinn, some small surprises, some large:

Pyramid
There are plenty of these pyramids in town, especially south of the center.

Activity lead to victory
These rats are also everywhere, this one has a message: "Activity leads to victory"

Two rats and a dino
Two rats are out for a ride, joined by a dinosaur

Shiba / whore
I am not sure if this woman is a tribute to Roy Liechtenstein, but apparently someone considers her a whore

JLEKSAP
JLEKSAP
Is it code? Is it cyrillian? Someone's made a message in tape at the Freedom Square

Face and decor
Dark face on a power station

Marilyn
Lots of Marilyns appeared as pasteups on covered windows

Marilyn and Andy
And some Andys are there to keep her company

Grand mural in Luha street
And a treat at last, I was so thrilled to see this large, colorful mural on a wall that used to be grey and boring. This seems like a comissioned collaboration of several artists, there might be a Multistab monster in there too.