Paints the mayor as a skrekkfigur. - There are few that make me so pissed

on Sunday, wrote Dagbladet magazine about the artist Håkon Bleken, which soon celebrates 90-year anniversary with exhibition at Henie Onstad.

In the morning was three of Blekens paintings themed on NRK Nyhetsmorgen.

Håkon Bleken:- I have a freaking bad time. Plus,

Bleken has for many years been a pronounced opponent of the construction of the New Nidarøhallen in Trondheim. The new hall can have a floor area of 15 000 square meters spread over eight flerbrukshaller, when it is finished for the summer.

Bleken has were, he has written and called, painted and been angry, writes the newspaper Dagbladet Magazine.

- There are few that makes me so pissed that Rita Ottervik, the mayor here in the city. She does everything she can to destroy Trondheim, and there is no one who manages to stop her, " says Bleken to the magazine.

Bleken have previously discussed Ottervik as "dictatorial, power-hungry and arrogant".

- Yes, for that is what she is. We have a mayor here in the city that breaks all the rules for how a democracy should work. Rita Ottervik is elected, but she doesn't listen to the people.

Beautiful images

Bleken have dealt with the anger so he usually: by painting Ottervik. Not just once - but three. A kollasj where a gapskrattende Ottervik is torn in two, and two paintings where Ottervik is painted as a dark figure without eyes.

the paintings are, according to NRK now on the wall in the Gallery Brandstrup in Oslo, where they will be presented on the occasion of the Blekens birthday on Wednesday. NRK reviews the paintings as "critical caricatures".

Ottervik has been referred to the Blekens statements. In an e-mail to the Newspaper she writes:

Håkon Bleken sold for seven million

"I congratulate Håkon Bleken with the day. He is a great trondheimskunstner and a strong and eloquent social commentator. I think that it is great that artists have a social commitment and that they may do this through his art and by engaging in the political debate.

I perceive these images as a political statement in a case where Bleken disagree with the council's decision."

Illustrator and cartoonist Finn Graff agrees that the paintings are a political statement, and believe they are located close up against his own genre: the cartoons.

KOLLASJ: Bleken shows one of the three images of Ottervik to the Newspaper. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more

- Bleken has talked about Ottervik and the construction in eons. It is enough that this has been an issue. So making these pictures. They are beautiful, I think, and are in a way caricatures, he says to Dagbladet.

Graff explains further why he believes that the pictures operate as caricatures. He believes the paintings, like a cartoon, a reflection of the peculiarities of the portrettertes appearance.

Although there is much that separates avistegneren and painter, believes Graff that Bleken uses many of the karikaturtegningens means.

Håkon Blekens images of life from a chaotic time

- Everyone knows Blekens attitudes to Ottervik. But this could have been much worse. He has kept within decent limits, I think. He has not, for example, used lytehumor, " he says.

Lytehumoren to any control away, both in art and caricatures, think Graff.

This is some nice pictures, I think, done in a way that is appropriate for his view of her as the mayor. He could have done much more, but it doesn't matter, it's tough enough, anyway.

Satire

Graff believes the painting can be interpreted satirically, in the same way as a cartoon.

I will say that this is satire. At the same time, there is a comment to the specific situation in Trondheim, and to Otterviks role in the situation. She does not see the destruction, " he says.

He says Bleken "is located in the same track" as karikaturtegnerne.

at the same time he has painterly qualities that we karikaturtegnere not always take the time to. He is the painter, so he uses his instruments. We create caricatures in the newspaper, we have other means.

He doesn't seem the painting is more severe or is more malicious than a typical caricature.

- No, it is not at all. Not more than avistegninger, or contemporary art otherwise.

So processed Håkon Bleken their trauma by 22. July

Karikaturtegninger companion as a rule, a avistekst, and strive for a certain amount of journalistic objectivity that the art relate to a lesser degree, " says Graff. Still shines often avistegnernes opinions through.

- That we have certain antipathies and sympathies is enough hard to hide. It depends on the temperature in the text, the drawing belongs to.

- similar to

Graff believes the audience has other expectations to the art than they have to caricatures, and that this can be manifested in the reactions. Art is simply taken closer in sight than avistegningene, he believes.

- Avistegninger flying past at full speed, without that it usually evokes some particular reactions, " he says.

He emphasizes again that he did not react specifically to Blekens painting, and says a avistegner might have gone longer.

I think it is fine images. He has drawn her quite similar to the way she is.

Håkon Blekens prayer to the thieves: - Live images back for christmas