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August 28, 2005
Vigeland
One of the most important artists in Norwegian history, and especially in the history of Oslo, was the sculptor Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943).
The Vigeland sculpture park on the West side of Oslo is a place with a very special atmosphere. Seeing all the sculptures of human figures, including babies and the aged, in their expressions of joy or sorrow, anger or tenderness, almost gives the impression that all of human life is displayed here.
Posted by barry at 10:54 EM
August 21, 2005
Supersilent
More about the Norwegian music scene.
A Norwegian journalist once told me that "the extremes of music thrive in Norway." Now, I don't know whether this is because of the psychology of the culture - a small population, with a kind of introverted nature, living in a uniquely dramatic landscape - but hunched over their instruments as they are, Supersilent is a band that plays at the extremes.
"The ear cries out for melody and rhythm the way the eye cries out for the figurative in painting," a friend said to me at the end of a long Supersilent concert in Oslo's basement-like John Dee venue this week. He meant that Supersilent try to leave the "figurative" behind.
Continue reading "Supersilent"
Posted by barry at 1:13 EM
August 14, 2005
Susanna & the Magical Orchestra
Another thing this blog will cover is contemporary Norwegian music. An esoteric subject, you might think, but it's something I'm very enthusiastic about and I'm very glad that it surrounds me here in Oslo. I'll write about the music I think is uniquely Norwegian, but I intend to describe only about four or five key acts.
I start with Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, who have released one album, List of Lights and Buoys (2004). I've seen them live three times: at a gallery on Hoxton Square in October 2003, at the London Jazz Festival in November 2004, and this week at Parkteatret in Oslo.
Continue reading "Susanna & the Magical Orchestra"
Posted by barry at 2:59 EM
August 7, 2005
Munch
I want to write about Norwegian art, so of course I must start with the best-known Scandinavian artist of all, Edvard Munch (1863-1944). Pictured here is a version (from 1893) of his most famous work The Scream, behind bullet proof glass (see the shine?) at the Munch Museum in Oslo. The security features didn't exist until recently.
Last year, armed robbers grabbed a more famous version of the painting (Munch made five), along with his Madonna, and now the Munch Museum has airport-like security. It's a very different place to the one I first visited three years ago, when movement through the galleries was not so restricted. However, this museum will always be an exciting place to visit, as it is the largest collection of Munch's works to be seen, because he left his estate to the city of Oslo. Recently I have also seen the Munchs in the Rasmus Meyer collection in Bergen, and those in the National Museum in Oslo.
Posted by barry at 4:16 EM