English Summary 4-2015

Eric Jeor
by Håkan Bull
Erik Jeor’s art has been described as ”informal watercolour painting”. Informal painting is a part of the post-war abstract expressionism where the process is the artwork, not the actual painting. It can be compared to a piece of music being played – the work of art unfolding in time. Erik Jeor is a musician but he sees this art form as separated from his painting career. In any case, his informal watercolours are open for the viewer’s own interpretation. His latest series is appropriately called ”Icône”. His works can be seen as iconic symbols as well as informal religious icons with associations to Christian history and iconography as well as to works from masters such as Mapplethorpe, Dalí and Leonardo da Vinci. This series is much different from his more abstract earlier works for which he gained much acclaim. I respect his courage to explore new paths and leave the previous road which has given him success, even though he claims that the new style is due to his renewed approach to the Christian faith.

Austin Corcoran
by Marianne Gross
In 1977 Austin Corcoran moved from Ireland to Denmark where he has lived since with his American wife Judith. His art has undergone a transition from wild colouristic explosions to more subtle and gentle expressions, which by no means are less intensive. They now demand sensitivity, immersion and reflection. He makes use of a palette with softer colours (davy’s grey being a favourite). Most of his paintings are abstract, but his ideas seem to be based on natural phenomena and general human experience. He creates a minimalistic snapshot of the artist’s state of mind. He deliberately works with strong compositions and contrasts: light/darkness, soft/hard, curves/lines, realistic/mystic, solid/ethereal. Austin Corcoran’s works are mostly graphical in their expression. He likes watercolour, but also uses printmaking, collage and mixed media. Since his debut in Ireland in 1966 he has succeeded in becoming an acclaimed artist. He has now cut down most exhibiting activities, but you may still regularly find his works on show in “Huset i Asnæs”, a well-known Danish artist collective of which he has been a member since 1985.

Mats Aronsson
by Jacqueline Stare
When he was 14 one of the local artists in his hometown Växjö, Berne Pettersson, recognized Mats Aronsson’s talent and offered to tutor him. Mats Aronsson entered Konstfack (arts and crafts school) in Stockholm during the late 60’ies, but gave up his studies because he did not like the atmosphere – many of the students and teachers were preoccupied with political matters. He attended private courses along the way, but never got a formal art education. However, he has been able to work as a full-time graphic and watercolour artist and teacher for 30 years. Small boats and canoes are among his favourite subject – not in landscapes but as a kind of still life painting. Boats often play parts in mythology and in ancient as well as modern storytelling. They are symbols of travels in many ways and of life and death (just think of Ulysses, Charon and Noah). Capturing light is important for him, but he also wants his works to convey emotions, to move people and to trigger the imagination of the viewer.

Annelie Hallgren
by Kelly Lindblom
After her studies at Konst- och Miljöskolan (art high school) in Sundsvalla and Beckmans Design High School she started to work with drawings and textile designs. She has also worked as an art teacher for many years and as an illustrator. But her creativity was paused for several years. First she had children and then they all moved to Manhattan, because her husband was offered a job in the USA. They were there during 9/11 2001 and she never got round to painting. The family moved back to Sweden in 2002 and a friend urged her to attend courses led by the Swedish artist, Anders Wallin, in order to get her to paint again. Anders Wallin was a great inspiration and opened her eyes to experimenting and abstract art and during the last 10 years she has hardly used a brush for her paintings. She mostly drips, sprays, scrapes, and prints but also uses coal and acrylics in her works. She makes collages out of bits of discarded watercolours and she is fascinated by the process where so much is left to chance when using watercolour and printmaking this way. Nature is a main inspiration and she will find details which she then will enlarge and elaborate as patterns or abstractions.

Summary by Marianne Gross