A surprising number of “celebrities” at some point get a strong need to realize themselves as visual artists. Here we have a range of examples from Marilyn Monroe and James Dean to Bob Dylan, Brad Pitt and Miley Cyrus. Here at home, both Raga Rockers’ Michael Krohn and A-ha’s Magne Furuholmen have taken the big step into the art scene. A few years ago, the solo artist and former September When vocalist Morten Abel surprised many by enrolling as an art student at the age of 55. Now the renowned pop star is up to date with his first art exhibition at Skur 2 in Stavanger. CHARGED MOTIF: A recurring motif is a child trying to connect with an adult who apparently has had enough of his own. Here the picture “Fjellvett”. Celebrity prejudices aside It’s easy to shake your head at this “celebrity art” and think that these actors sail into galleries and auction houses on a star status that has little to do with their artistic abilities. And of course they get a lot of free attention by virtue of their fame, but the question is what kind of attention they get. I think that artists like Morten Abel probably have to work extra hard to get real recognition. When I go to review the exhibition, it is with the holy intention of putting aside both my nostalgic relationship with The September When and any elitist “celebrity prejudices”. Uneven artistry It is an energetic and colorful universe that we are invited into at Skur 2. Morten Abel has developed a unique expressive painterly style. It looks like he draws inspiration both from the German expressionists of the early 20th century, but also the COBRA group’s emotional and unrestrained celebration of color in the 40s and 50s. “I want to evoke an uneasiness in my pictures,” says Abel. I think about this ambition as I walk and look at the fierce and reckless brushstrokes. URO: “Jupiter” by Morten Abel. URO: “You should just look at me” by Morten Abel. In some images he manages to do just that: to create an experience of simmering anxiety beneath the surface, while at other times the unease is of a more compositional nature that is hardly intentional. It amazes me how he sometimes shows both compositional and coloristic ability, while at other times he seems to abdicate completely as a designer – creating flat, poster-like fields of color that look like they come straight from the tube. In other words, we encounter a rather uneven artistry here. The little child and the father It is interesting that, with few exceptions, he revolves around a single motif again and again: the little child and the father. In many of the paintings we see a searching little boy and an aloof father figure. His best pictures convey this charged subject in a powerful and heartbreaking way. One of the better paintings is “Holding a fish”. COLOR SENSE: The picture “Holding a fish” shows that Morten Abel possesses both color sense and compositional ability. Here, the colors nicely support the form. The image shows an intensity and strength of expression in the color treatment. Both the heads and the hand holding the fish are designed in a convincing way, and the intense gazes charge the image with something sinister. Good with colors In the painting “Tumor” I also think he has captured something nice. CONTRASTS: Sometimes he really manages to create an expression, a condensed uneasiness, such as in “Tumor”. Here we see a man’s face in three-quarter profile, where one side of the face is illuminated in an almost baroque manner. The picture is an example where he works with complementary contrasts in a nice way: the red against the green. The colors support the main shape in a nice way. The faces are also very nicely modeled. I like how the man appears as the very source of light that shines on the upturned child’s face. Perhaps it is a picture of the fateful influence we have on our children. The gazes that do not meet create a tension in the image: the child’s eyes, which are directed at the father, and the man’s intense gaze, which fixes us. UNFINISHED, BUT THE POTENTIAL IS THERE: It will be exciting to follow Morten Abel in the future, says art critic Mona Pahle Bjerke. Here the painting “On Horseback”. Sloppy and messy When we study great expressionists such as Edvard Munch, Kathe Kollwitz, Emil Nolde and Asger Jorn, we see that even the most unrestrained expressions of emotion are based on a formal and coloristic plan. Abel has made use of his schooling, but he could certainly use more. Sometimes it seems as if he confuses expressiveness with sloppiness. DOESN’T WORK: “Self-portrait with guitar” is another example of everything falling apart. Perhaps it is just a picture of a family disintegrating, but as a visual expression it does not work very well. Morten Abel says that although it is music that he makes a living from, it is art that he primarily works with now. It is therefore nice to be able to conclude that he has a certain talent. But he probably also has undoubted potential for improvement. In any case, it will be exciting to follow Morten Abel’s art in the future. news reviews Exhibition: “A little anxious, just…” Location: Skur 2, Stavanger Artist: Morten Abel Period: 17 November–27 November 2022
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“A bit anxious, just…” at Skur 2, Stavanger – news Culture and entertainment
