You see we are blind at Fineart Gallery in Oslo is the largest collection of Odd Nerdrum’s work that has ever been on display, showcasing sixty paintings from the past twenty years.
Since the 1980s, Nerdrum has consistently depicted man in his primal state, confronted by the necessities of life and its inescapable challenges. The paintings in this exhibition emphasize human figures in movement, roughly painted as if caught in a stage of transformation.
Watch Jan-Ove Tuv’s guided tour at the exhibition:
Tuv is known for putting emphasis on technique and storytelling when he analyzes paintings. He often points to a method he calls the “shock effect” which he says is typical for Odd Nerdrum. “It pushes or pulls figures in a certain direction,” he explains.
Taking inspiration from “Hope” by George Frederic Watts, Nerdrum is using a heliocentric perspective where centralized figures are seen from beneath, and the earth as if from outer space — a sense of life repeated in some of his most iconic images.
Besides barren landscapes and forests, a third scenery of a darker kind has been introduced in the last decade and a half. The series of void pictures is a continuation of experimental motifs Nerdrum made in the 1960s, initially inspired by fever dreams in his childhood. Here, the human figure is the supreme center of attention and the general order of society has ceased to exist. In some of his recent paintings, the transitory stage of the underworld becomes apparent. Clothless… hairless; the figures are stripped of everything, as if they were living ghosts.
Since the mid-2000s, Nerdrum has been using the Apelles palette, consisting of white, yellow, red, and black. The cool tones in these works, which appear blue, are merely gradations of gray, underlining the earthly tone and sense of unity.
More and more coarsely painted and softer in the transitions, as if in a dream, his subjects are living, translucent beings.
For Nerdrum, a “correct” depiction has never been sufficient. His primary goal has been storytelling, and now more than ever, he connects the figures through a pulsating rhythm of eternity.
The stories we are witnessing recreate moments where life is at stake. Moments of utter seriousness and devotion. Moments we all secretly long for, because they tell us who we are.
Seeing Nerdru’s work, one is reminded of Joseph Campbell´s words of how The Hero brings eternity into the present. He who lives according to timeless stories will remain forever young, because his ideas come from the primal source of human life.
Jan-Ove Tuv will have guided tours at the exhibition:
Sunday 27th March at 1 and 3 pm (13:00 og 15:00)
Saturday 2nd April at 2 and 4 pm (14:00 og 16:00)
Sunday 3rd April at 1 and 3 pm (13:00 og 15:00)
It is for free and anyone can join.
Drifting
28 000 kr
Loving couple
26 000 kr
Infant
50 000 kr
We are now collaborating with Det Gylne Galleri
Now you can order lithographs framed by Det Gylne Galleri in Tønsberg – operated by Madeleine Skarsteen and Nicolai Aschim, who continue four generations of experience in the art of framing. A selection of Odd Nerdrum’s prints will also be on view in the gallery located in downtown Tønsberg next to Farmandstredet. The gallery offers local pickup of ordered prints in their new store in Drammen as well as Oslo, where they collaborate with Det Gylne Snitt. Local Pickup Points: Det Gylne Galleri, Håkon Gamles gate 1A, 3111 Tønsberg Det Gylne Galleri, St.Olavsgate 3, 3017 Drammen Det Gylne Snitt, Frognerveien 24, 0263 Oslo Odd Nerdrum’s prints can be ordered with our standard 3072-CD frame with passepartout delivered in AR92 glass (92% ultraviolet protection) from our online store. Limited edition prints by Odd Nerdrum:
Kitsch Meets Art: Nerdrum & Melgaard Exhibition in Oslo
Two worlds collide when the exhibition Nerdrum & Melgaard opens 6 pm Thursday 7th November at Fineart Oslo. The show will include limited edition prints by two of Norway’s most influential and controversial figures in the kitsch and art world respectively. Odd Nerdrum and Bjarne Melgaard represent diametrically different but powerful visions: the former with his classical figuration, focusing on timeless imagery and vulnerability, and the latter with his contemporary, expressive style, tapping into sexuality, identity and the grimness of life. On display will be recent as well as venerable prints that have stood the test of time, original drawings, sculptures and a unique collaborative self-portrait. This double portrait reveals the opposing forms of expression — giving the public an opportunity to closely compare the two. Odd Nerdrum and Bjarne Melgaard agreed last year to do a collaboration. Here together with the gallery owner Rolf Stavnem. Photo: Naina Helén Jåma / VG The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) will be present and cover the opening, which will include opening remarks from the real-estate investor Christian Ringnes and the editor-in-chief of Subjekt, Danby Choi.
Rembrandt’s Melancholy and Classical Values
Do you want to know how the mind of the greatest classical painter of our time works?Do you wonder what “classical values” actually are?And why melancholy is actually that important to us? Odd Nerdrum and his former student Jan-Ove Tuv sit down for a conversation in the building which is the Nerdrum Museum in the making: The old Pipe House at Agnes Square outside of Stavern.With a philosophical approach to painting, the discussion will move beyond the strokes and attempt to explain the meaning of painting. Join a one hour conversation about: • The importance of Rembrandt’s melancholy• Why storytelling is so important to us• Why “modern” values are destructive for classical painters and the audience. The event will take place September 14th at 17:00 – 18:00. Tickets are now available.
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