DARKNESS DESCENDS: Norwegian Art Now Runs Through Oct. 9 in the Grossman Gallery
Exhibition explores darkness inspired by mythology and nature
EASTON, Pa.(www.lafayette.edu), September 2, 2009 — DARKNESS DESCENDS: Norwegian Art Now, running through Oct. 9 in the Grossman Gallery, delves into the uniquely Norwegian style of neo-romanticism in contemporary art. The exhibition brings together a multidisciplinary group of artists to explore the fascination with darkness inspired by mythology and a close relationship to nature.
The exhibition includes drawings, photographs, paintings, sculpture, video, and sound pieces by Thora Dolven Balke, Halvor Bodin, Lars Elling, Anki King, Sol Kjøk, Ingvild Langgård, Are Mokkelbost, Rune Olsen, Anne Katrine Senstad, Elise Storsveen, Kjersti Vetterstad, Marius Watz, Liz Wendelbo, Jana Winderen, Monica Winther, and Munan Øvrelid.
From curator Christina Vassallo's statement: These photographs are the continuation of Senstad's series of male Norwegian portraits; in both series, Senstad channels the public perception of Norwegian culture and identity as they are formed through fact and fiction.
A quote from Thure Erik Lund's essay "On the Hell of Being Norwegian," which was included in Senstad's first book, is the best way to end this description of DARKNESS DESCENDS, although it further mystifies an understanding of Norwegian art: So, who are we really, we who claim to be real Norwegians? As a consequence of our nature, we extremely rare really genuine Norwegians are, strangely enough, not interested in defining ourselves, as either one or the other type of Norwegian.
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