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art

Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943)

Last year when in Norway we had one hour between trains to check out Vigeland Park in Oslo. I wish we had two or three days let alone hours.

In 1907 Gustav Vigeland was given this land (80 acres) to do what he wished with it. he spent the next 35 years creating 212 bronze and granite sculptures and died before the park opened.

We were blown away by his work. He chose to focus entirely on the human condition - Birth - Death - Agony - Love - Anger - Despair. It is hard to think of a single interaction bewteen humans that he did not cover. Some of them are obvious, others open to interpretation, but they all made everyone stop and think.

More Inside

[ 14 responses ] < Art > < link >

[ posted by art at 06/28/2006 04:14:27 PM ]
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art [email] said at 4:20 PM 06-28-2006:
The layout of the park shows how much he did. The four columns in the center (including the top picture of my post) to me made me think the most. along with the other three below, I see them as man and woman struggling with death and finally succumbing to it. But that's just my view.

[Reply To this] [#231007]

craig [email] said at 4:24 PM 06-28-2006:
Wow! It could be death, but death is usually skeletal whereas this is some sort of vampiric reptile. Lovely!

[Reply To this] [#231011]

art [email] said at 4:36 PM 06-28-2006:
Perhaps Fate?

[Reply To this] [#231016]

craig [email] said at 4:44 PM 06-28-2006:
Fate is three women if I remember correctly.

It could be anything. It could be the artist's own personaly mythology for all we know.

When I see women with serpents around them I think garden of eden. When I see men and serpents I think of St. george and the Dragon or something. Regardless, the serpent is usually evocative of the devil. But who knows.

[Reply To this] [#231018]

art [email] said at 4:23 PM 06-28-2006:
The bronze statues on the sides, between the columns show different interaction between men and women and parents and grandparents and children:

Some of these you might recognize from copies

[Reply To this] [#231010]

art [email] said at 4:28 PM 06-28-2006:
In the center is a pool with a giant fountain. Around it are bronzes simulating the stages of life from birth through childhood, adulthood, elderly then death:

[Reply To this] [#231012]

art [email] said at 4:32 PM 06-28-2006:
Probably his most famous work is The Monolith showing humanity drawling all over each other to get to the top:

The rest of the granites and more of the bronzes are here: Art's Vigeland Flickr

[Reply To this] [#231014]

zack [email] said at 5:45 PM 06-28-2006:
WAOWAOW!!!!!!!!1 holy fuck, thanks for the picture show!!!

[Reply To this] [#231024]

craig [email] said at 4:44 PM 06-28-2006:
These are all amazing.

[Reply To this] [#231019]

brandon [email] said at 5:50 PM 06-28-2006:
These are all pretty amazing, Art. Thanks.

[Reply To this] [#231026]

art [email] said at 6:01 PM 06-28-2006:
Thanks All - I added another half dozen to the Flickr page. Sometimes I wish I took a picture of every one he made

[Reply To this] [#231028]

kate [email] said at 10:58 PM 06-28-2006:
those were really neat. i liked the flickr page a lot too. oh my gosh, the close up of the monolith...the work!

[Reply To this] [#231065]

art [email] said at 10:19 AM 06-29-2006:
Two of my favorites:

What is it that she sees? What is so terrible that she must protect the other?

I call this one Henpecked. The guy in the middle is about 2/3 the size of the women

[Reply To this] [#231084]

myriam [email] said at 10:51 AM 06-29-2006:
These are AMAZING. I love the style, they seem so rawly emotive! Wow. Also, the way he did the trees is awesome, and looks really cool juxtaposed against the real, lacy trees beyond in your photos. Wow. This reminds me of when I saw Rodin's stuff up close the first time and was blown away by how communicative the emotions were through the worked bronze style. Thanks!!!

[Reply To this] [#231088]