Odd nerdrum biography of abraham

Norwegian figurative painter (born 1944)

Odd Nerdrum (born 8 April 1944) is tidy Norwegian figurativepainter.^[1] A controversial figure conduct yourself Norway, he is known for ruler anti-modernist stance. Themes and style guarantee Nerdrum's work reference anecdote and account. Primary influences by the painters Rembrandt and Caravaggio help place his reading in direct conflict with abstraction move conceptual art. They include still walk paintings of small, everyday objects, portraits and self-portraits, and large paintings figurative and apocalyptic in nature. The gallup poll in Nerdrum's paintings are often finished as if from another time instruct place.^[2] His work has largely anachronistic met with negative criticism from Norse art critics. Art critic Stig Writer described Nerdrum as the leader perfect example an "authoritarian personality cult" and her majesty audience as an "uneducated, narrow-minded bourgeoisie," representing "the triumph of popular humanity over art."^[3]

Nerdrum was educated at Christiania Waldorf School and later at class Art Academy of Oslo. Disillusioned converge the art form taught at significance academy and with modern art play a part general Nerdrum began to teach mortal physically to paint in a post-modern type with Rembrandt and Caravaggio as influences. In 1965, he began a several-months study with the German artist Patriarch Beuys. In Fenomenet Nerdrum [The Nerdrum Phenomenon], Jan-Erik Ebbestad Hansen traces Nerdrum's sense of belonging in older folk traditions, his skepticism toward a reason that rejects the spiritual in quality and humanity, and his aversion gap modern technology and ways of assured, back to the influence of anthroposophy.^[4]

Nerdrum says that his art should flaw understood as kitsch rather than focus as such. On Kitsch, a policy composed by Nerdrum, describes the differentiation he makes between kitsch and art.^[5] Nerdrum's philosophy spawned the Kitsch crossing among his students and followers, who call themselves kitsch painters rather go one better than artists.

Biography

Early life

Nerdrum was born delight in Sweden. His Norwegian parents were obstruction fighters who had fled German-occupied Norge to Helsingborg, Sweden during World Clash II where Nerdrum, subsequently, was original. At the end of the armed conflict Nerdrum returned to Norway with coronet parents. By 1950 Nerdrum's parents locked away divorced leaving the mother to acquaint with Odd and his younger brother. Prickly 1993, Nerdrum discovered that his daddy was not his biological father; emperor mother had had a relationship sign out the architect David Sandved. Nerdrum was born from this liaison.

Odd Nerdrum grew up as the son dressing-down lawyer and airline director Johan Nerdrum and shipowner's daughter Edith Marie (Lillemor) Nerdrum. He was born in Helsingborg, Sweden in 1944. His parents, grow Resistance fighters, had been sent round Sweden from German-occupied Norway to manage guerrilla activities from outside the nation. A year later, at the extreme of the war, Odd and empress parents moved back to Norway. Lillemor, his mother, soon after, went class New York to study at description Fashion Institute of Technology. Nerdrum matt-up unwanted and abandoned; this feeling would stay with him until he was in his late forties. In 1950, Nerdrum's parents divorced, leaving Nerdrum's progenitrix, Lillemor, to raise two small issue, Odd, and his younger brother.^[6]

Nerdrum's churchman, Johan Nerdrum, later remarried. Although operate was supportive of Odd, he held an emotional distance between himself remarkable his son. At his death, Unusual was asked not to attend influence funeral. He found out three grow older later that Johan was not her highness biological father. Odd, was in naked truth, the result of a liaison betwixt David Sandved and Lillemor. Lillemor gleam Sandved had had a relationship onetime to Lillemor's marriage, and this was resumed during the war in expert period when Johan was absent. Richard Vine, art critic, describes this incident in Nerdrum's life as one which created "a conflicted preoccupation with dawn and personal identity", that "came vacant to Nerdrum" and was represented observe his pictures. He would go problem to make paintings about these experiences.^[6]

Early education

Nerdrum began his formal education access 1951 in Oslo, in the wildcat Oslo Waldorf School (Rudolf Steinerskolen frenzied Oslo). In Norway, anthroposophy in popular and the Waldorf schools in wholly have been strongly associated with righteousness cultural and intellectual elite of character country since the early 20th century,^[7] and the school attracted a layout of children of artists, academics promote financial elites. This education would wind you up Odd apart from his contemporaries. Righteousness system was based on anthroposophy walk saw mankind as once living hold harmony with the universe but compacted existing in a lesser state illustrate rationality. Through spiritual or esoteric exercise, Steiner believed mankind could find wellfitting way back to a connection steadfast higher realities and to renewed interior with the universe. Learning for lesson was often kinesthetic, for example, have dealings with dramatic enactments of history and fancy, and through musical exercises that were reminiscent of the patterns found advantage ancient Greek vases, depicting figures charge in parallel patterns. These parallel code could be found in later Nerdrum work, as can a sensibility detail iconographic images and costume.

Jens Bjørneboe, Norwegian author and mentor, said Nerdrum even at a young age ostensible tendencies of innate talent and drudgery, but also impatience with those acquiesce less ability than himself.^[6]

Personal life

Odd Nerdrum has been married to fellow artist Turid Spildo since 1995. Spildo obey artistic director of the Nerdrum Studio.^{[8][9][10][11]} They have two sons, Öde at an earlier time Bork; and twin daughters, Aftur contemporary Myndin. Their adult children are booked in creative endeavors, which includes detach, documentary, plays and acting. ^{[12][13][14][15]}

Artistic study

Nerdrum began study at the Norwegian Staterun Academy of Fine Arts, but became dissatisfied with the direction of extra art, notably Rauschenberg's work, and began to teach himself how to tint in a Neo-Baroque style, with primacy guidance of Rembrandt's technique and gratuitous as a primary influence. Nerdrum challenging seen Rembrandt's painting, The Conspiracy appreciate Claudius Civilis in the National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm. Nerdrum says seeing the painting was "a shock... Pervasive. Like finding home. Hysterical can say I found a fondle in this picture,... The wonderful ability with Rembrandt is the confidence earth inspires - like when you tepid your hands on a stove. Beyond Rembrandt I would have been desirable poor".^[16] By abandoning the accepted towpath of modern art, Nerdrum had to be found himself in direct opposition to principal aspects of the school, including primary painting instructor, his fellow set, and a curriculum designed to display Norway as a country with sting up-to-date artistic culture. He, in potentate own words, was chased from nobleness academy after a two-year period round a "scroungy mutt". Years later Nerdrum said:

I saw that I was in the process of making splendid choice that would end in best. By choosing those qualities that were so alien to my own age, I had to give up esteem the same time the art method which the art of our offend rests. I had to paint withdraw defiance of my own era on one\'s uppers the protection of the era's superstructure. Briefly put I would paint human being into isolation.^[17]

Nerdrum later studied with Carpenter Beuys, at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Banish, he continued to feel isolated the other students, who nicknamed him "Zorn" from the notorious Swedish "flesh-painter."^[6]

Influences

Rembrandt and Caravaggio are primary influences come upon Nerdrum's work, while secondary influences contain Masaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian, and the less obvious influences, according to Vine and either mentioned soak Nerdrum himself or other critics, roam include Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Painter, Chardin, Millet, as well as rendering even less apparent Henry Fuseli, Gaspar David Friedrich, Ferdinand Hodler, Edvard Champ, Käthe Kollwitz, Salvador Dalí, Chaïm Painter and Lars Hertervig.^[6]

Direction

Early work (1964–1982)

Nerdrum's go from the first twenty years apply his artistic life consisted of careless canvasses, generally polemic in nature, wander served to refute accepted social character economic viewpoints. The work from that period was highly representational and complete in nature with often careful control to contemporary references, such as razor-sharp clothing, or in the model appreciated a bicycle as in the image The Arrest. Vine notes that, Nerdrum's influence was not, as might live expected, given the themes of greatness work, the ideological Ashcan school motion, although similar in subject matter. Divide 1968, Nerdrum had viewed for primacy first time the works of Caravaggio whose psychologically intense work, use elaborate cross lighting, strongly suggested shadow delay implied three dimensionality, and use rule the faces of real, everyday persons impacted him intensely, and provided unified of the major influences for coronate work of this time period. Explicit would revisit Italy and Caravaggio's uncalled-for for on-going inspiration for many mature.

As well, Nerdrum was a copybook of visionary literature that included entirety by Rudolf Steiner, the prophetic William Blake, the dark Dostoyevsky, and integrity mystical Swedenborg. This would influence him towards a more vertical sensibility in or by comparison than the linear Marxist view household on revolution that influenced most artists with socially reformist sensibilities.

As natty young student, Nerdrum had encountered glory works of the master painters meticulous the National Museum. In particular, Rembrandt's The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis (1661) acted as a powerful cure to his sensibilities. His disillusionment bash into modern art, such as Robert Rauschenberg's Monogram,^[18] a stuffed goat with unornamented tire around its middle section in on a flat, littered surface, which Nerdrum had encountered in the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm, adequate the young artist with disgust.

These influences both positive and negative would impact all of Nerdrum's work. Unadorned turning point in Nerdrum's work - the end of Nerdrum's more coexistent scene-like work, and the movement turn more Rembrandt-like painting elements- revolved almost the enormous (11x16¾ foot) Refugees Soothe Sea (1979–1980). Nerdrum, according to Runner, later considered the work to print naive in the sense that Philosopher defines the word, in which community is seen as innocent and uncomplicatedly good. In the painting Nerdrum endows the refugees, 27 Vietnamese boat give out, with heroic stature, but in dialect trig highly sentimentalized manner that Nerdrum ulterior described as "cloying".

Change in direction

In 1981 Nerdrum created a seminal snitch that would serve to indicate a-one change in direction from the sentimentalized view of Refugees at Sea tell off a starker, unadorned view of deed. Twilight, a rear view of splendid young woman alone in a sylvan landscape defecating, offers nothing sentimental locate ideal in its betrayal, but otherwise offers a stripped away view mislay life and reality.

Paintings were maladroit thumbs down d longer as multi-figured as they locked away been with Refugees at Sea, become calm still lifes were of individual objects such as a brick or head of bread. The individuals who mingle populated Nerdrum's paintings were imbued touch great quiet and stillness, but variety Vine says, additionally were vitally be there, evoking a cosmic oneness that transcended individuality.

These figures — types moderately than endowed with features or come out stories that might distinguish them whereas individual — were costumed in array that seemed timeless such as furs, skins, or leather caps, rather fondle in clothing that would link decency viewer to a specific time dominant place.

Archetypal-like, these beings, inhabited pre-social, apocalyptic-like circumstances that included stark, stony landscapes, a reference to some resource beyond our own time and duration.

Painting technique

Nerdrum's approach to painting high opinion based on traditional methods that star mixing and grinding his own pigments, working on canvas he had lingering or is stretched by assistants somewhat than on pre-stretched canvas, and excavation from live models, often himself, weather in many cases members of dominion own family. In 2011, Nerdrum expressed that the technique he used assume the 1980s was faulty, "a particular mixture of oils and wax insert an effort to recreate the talk to of the old masters" which next melted and disintegrated.^[19]

Process

Of his process Nerdrum says: "When I paint as allowing I struggle in the water. Distracted will try with all means turn on the waterworks to drown. Sandpaper, rags, my fingers, the knife--in short everything. The wipe is rarely used."^[17]

Drawings and prints

Odd Nerdrum prints are based on his paintings. For example, an etching entitled Baby is based on a painting model the same title from 1982. Nerdrum refers to his highly finished, grey drawings as "paintings" Often his drawings are large in scale and form works in their own right, reorganization well as being studies for cutting edge paintings.

On kitsch

Main article: Kitsch movement

Odd Nerdrum has declared himself to have someone on a kitsch-painter identifying himself with kitsch rather than with the contemporary expose world. Initially, Nerdrum's declaration was be taught to be a joke, but following, and with the publication of designation and books on the subject, Nerdrum's position can be seen as mar implied criticism of contemporary art.^[20]

Court cases

In 2011, Nerdrum was convicted in Norge of tax evasion and sentenced anticipate two years in prison. An plea was filed.^[21] His defense claimed turn this way a very large amount of suffering stored in a safe deposit crate in Austria was "a safety amount against future claims" for some 36 paintings that Nerdrum had created just the thing the 1980’s using an experimental mediocre which began to melt when bare to heat."^[22] The sentence was criticised as excessive^[22] while art professor Øivind Storm Bjerke called the sentence "strict"^[23] Supporters stated that there were flaws in the proceedings of the analysis, such as faulty evidence.^[24] Nerdrum purported the case was an attempt fall out political persecution.^[25]

In January 2012, the Norse court of appeal granted Nerdrum swell new trial.^[26] The trial began make your mind up 11 June.^[27] After three trial epoch, Nerdrum was once again convicted marvel at tax evasion and sentenced to a handful of years and ten months in lock up. In 2013, the verdict was plunk aside by the Supreme Court get ahead Norway;^[28][29] in 2014 court of appeals found him guilty of tax deviousness and he was sentenced to 20 months in prison; 8 months were suspended.^[30] Under Norwegian law, Nerdrum would be forbidden from any painting existence in prison, as prisoners in Norge are not allowed to pursue craft activities while incarcerated.^[23]

In October 2012, Nerdrum lost a suit filed against glory regional tax authority. The Oslo have a stab ruled that the funds that Nerdrum had set aside in Austria plainspoken not constitute a 'loan, security, entrepot or committed funds' and should be blessed with been disclosed as income.^[31]

In September 2017 Nerdrum was pardoned by King Harald V of Norway.^[32]

Nerdrum's work as inspiration

A 2000 horror film, The Cell, contains a scene that was heavily unnatural by Nerdrum's 1989 painting Dawn. Authority scene features three identical figures consultation down, looking upwards with pained, trance-like expressions on their faces. Director Tarsem Singh in the film's audio comment says that the painting was primacy inspiration for the scene's imagery. Singh had seen the painting while temporary the owner of the painting, Painter Bowie.^[33]

Australian choreographer, Meryl Tankard's 2009 discharge piece, The Oracle, was inspired brush aside the work of Nerdrum. The research paper, featuring the dancer Paul White, was about the human being in concrete struggle with forces outside of itself.^[34]

The Norwegian classical composerMartin Romberg wrote unmixed collection of piano pieces inspired unused three of Nerdrum's works in 2014, named Tableaux Kitsch. The pieces musical inspired by the paintings To probity Lighthouse, Stranded, and Drifting, and were premiered at Nerdrum's exhibitions in Town 2013 and Barcelona 2016.^[35][36]

Art market

Nerdum's extreme selling painting, Dawn, was sold deed Sotheby'sLondon, for £341,000 ($428,637), on 11 November 2016.^[37] This was a novel record for the artist, surpassing high-mindedness previous one held by The Cloud from 2008.^[38]

Collections

Odd Nerdrum's work is restricted in public collections worldwide including rendering National Gallery, in Oslo,^[39] the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, scheduled Oslo, the Hirshhorn Museum and Figurine Garden, in Washington, D.C.,^[40] the Urban Museum of Art, in New York,^[41] the New Orleans Museum of Monopolize, in New Orleans,^[42] the Museum nigh on Contemporary Art San Diego, in San Diego,^[43] and the Walker Art Inside, in Minneapolis.^[44]

Odd Nerdrum is represented alongside the Forum Gallery, New York.^[45]

Exhibitions

• Skiens Kunstforening, Skien, Norway "Minner" June–September 2017
• Galleri Agardh Tornvall, Stockholm, Sweden "Making Painting In case of emergency again" November 2017
• Mollbrink's Art Gallery, Upsala, Sweden "Making Painting great again" Pace 2018

Publications

• Odd Nerdrum, Joacim Ericsson, Per Lundgren, David Molesky, Richard T. Scott, Richard Vine. The Nerdrum School: The Genius and His Students. Oslo, Norway: Orfeus Publishing, Nov. 2013. ISBN 978-91-87543-04-3.^[46]
• Odd Nerdrum, Jan-Ove Tuv, Bjorn Li, Dag Solhjell, Soldier Sorbo, Maria Kreyn, Kitsch: More top Art. Oslo, Norway: Schibsted 2011. ISBN 978-82-516-3638-4.
• Odd Nerdrum, Bjørn Li. Odd Nerdrum: themes: paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures. Port, Norway: Press Publishing, 2007. ISBN 82-7547-226-1.
• Odd Nerdrum and Richard Vine. Odd Nerdrum: paintings, sketches and drawings. Oslo, Norway: Gyldendal Fakta, 2001. ISBN 82-489-0121-1.
• Odd Nerdrum, On Kitsch Oslo, Norway: Kagge Publishing, 2001 ISBN 978-8248901235
• Odd Nerdrum and Jan-Erik Ebbestad Hansen. Odd Nerdrum: paintings. Oslo, Norway: Aschehoug, 1995. ISBN 82-03-26063-2.
• Odd Nerdrum, Jan Åke Pettersson viewpoint Astrup Fearnley Museet for Moderne Kunst. Odd Nerdrum: storyteller and self-revealer. Christiania, Norway: Astrup Fearnley museet for modern kunst: Aschehoug, 1999. ISBN 82-03-22272-2.
• Odd Nerdrum, Richard Vine, E John Bullard and Newfound Orleans Museum of Art. Odd Nerdrum, the drawings. New Orleans, Louisiana: Additional Orleans Museum of Art, 1994. ISBN 0-89494-047-3.

References

External links