Omslagsbild:
Lukas Göthman – get real (detalj) – 57x76cm, 2017
Lukas Göthman
by Håkan Bull
In a single word the art of Lukas Göthman can be described as nomadic. His work is sometimes categorized as “process art” in the sense that the proces is more important than the result. Oil and acrylic painting has always been a major part of Lukas Göthman’s work and he has published “artist books” with short-stories to which he has painted illustrations that were parallel visual traces. He calls his stories “travel journals”. He is known for his large theme-based paintings with short phrases written on the surface and he has now taken up this method on watercolour paintings. His father and his grandmother were both skilled watercolour artists, and he often used this technique in his youth, so it is not new to him. The paintings from his exhibition The Current (Journey 9) awakes many literary associations which is no coincidence, since Lukas Göthman is almost as interested in literature as in visual arts.
Hanne Julie Johansen
by Marianne Gross
The Stevns Klint chalk cliff is a recurring matter of subject for Hanne Julie Johansen. She lives in the area and the changing light on the water, the sky and the layers of chalk in the cliff are constant inspirations to her paintings. She chose a teaching career and has worked with children and adults with special needs, with refugees and inmates, but has also had freelance illustration jobs. She was introduced to the watercolour medium when she attended a watercolour class at the age of 18. Later on she has sought out talented teachers such as Alvaro Castagnet, Anna Törnquist, Anders Wallin, Lars Eje Larsson and Lars Holm. She has been a member of the Nordic Watercolour Society since the beginning of the 1990’ies. She loves bringing her materials along on travels and will sketch and take photos for later inspiration and she will interpret the subjects more freely in the studio later on. Hanne Julie Johansen finds it important to experiment and seek new boundaries.
PG Thelander
by Jacqueline Stare
PG Thelander was very surprised to hear that he was one of the artists to receive the Axel Theofren Sandberg Watecolour Award in 2016. Even though he is a renowned painter, sculptor and graphic artist, he has hardly ever shown any of his watercolour works in public. Watercolour is, however, important for his work process, since many of his sketches and notes are made in watercolour. Whenever he has an idea or sees an inspiring detail in a museum or in the street, he will make a quick watercolour sketch. In his paintings he oftens makes use of the colours red, blue, green, yellow, grey, and black and include a carrot since he is fond of the orange contrast colour as well as the shape. One of his trademarks is to make references to older classic works of art including paintings by Ernst Josephson, Rembrandt van Rijn, or August Strindberg. Other elements include potatoes, penguins, frogs, nails and bolts etc. creating a surrealistic sense of humour.
Karoliina Hellberg
by Camilla Granbacka
Time seems to stand still in Karoliina Hellberg’s paintings. No people are visible, but still there is a sense of nearness and unease brought by the presence of small statues and paintings in her interiors. Since graduating from the Art Academy in Helsingfors two years ago, Karoliina Hellberg has rapidly advanced to become one of Finland’s most promising contemporary artists. Her dreamlike paintings are full of colour, shape, and detail often set in bourgeois salons with a nostalgic feel to them. The interiors are united with landscapes as if one is indoors and outdoors at the same time. She paints many large oils and acrylics as well as smaller and more detailed watercolour works. She was urged to pursue watercolour painting by Petri Hyönen who lectured at the Art Academy. Her aim is to evoke feelings and thoughts but she does not wish to impose any of her own opinions or ideas on ht spectator. Hopefully the works can live their own lives without needing any further explanations.
Summary by Marianne Gross