Seppo the Great

WHO is Seppo? The famous painter behind his even more famous ‘bike chick’ wallpainting from Noerrebrogade in Copenhagen. He also makes the most beautifull colour woodcuts  in the world. ..you can get them at a real fair price in Klausens Kunsthandel, see below.

Finnish artist Seppo Mattinen is more than 80 years old, and still going strong. Now with a soloexhibition in Clausens Kunsthandel in Nyhavn, Copenhagen till May the 15 th. His new paintings from Rome (where he lives), are great. Vibrant and alive. Full of light, peace and humour. I had the pleasure to meat him twice and talk with him. Was going to print his litos for him in Rome last year, but had to give it up for private reasons. But Rome is still pulling and calling…just Loove that city.

Go and see the pict with a pope that in the seventies, was riding an OPEN car – Seppo saw the pope from a window above and the man sitting behind him holding the popes bud (the pope had weak legs). Unbelievable…

My Digital Art

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NOW art

Like most  art fairs, there is a lot you need to pass by, to keep your energy high. There is so much going on and so many colours stuffed in many small cells, that only the few stands out.

Less is still more.  Explore Mona Askaers now art – spontaneous and rare simplicity with a strong celebrating life energy. Bold.

I was happy to came across A.Ben . Take the dot away and you have monkey in Danish. A wonderful female artist. I immediately named her artistic impression; Sweet Kvium (which she approved). She was adorable too, loved her Snow-white like outfit. Was that your own hair?

I also came across a great art project, named ‘the temp files project’  by Bettina P. Molsner. I Loved her humorous variations over the little mermaid. The series of prints are her reaction to the copyright case, she endures with heirs, saying she used the mermaid in business. She claims that she only made a modern reference towards the little lady. She wants a debate about ‘open source art’ – and is selling you the right to work on her 6 prints (you get them on an USB pod). She invites you to upload your variations on her site…You can also Share, Remix, Reuse – Legally at creative commons

I like brave people - and those cupcakes where delicous. Order your own customized cupcakes from Coco Electra. And I will for sure visit Stromsk gallery/shop, love her fresh and crazy univers, great serigraphic works and had a party with her little sculptures like the ‘Hip Hip Hurray’ plastic party below…

RETHINK climate changes

RETHINK is an art project that thematizes climate changes through Nordic and international contemporary art. The project consists of a large art exhibition. Below is my contribution to RETHINK, looking at  nature vs. culture. How is nature to be defined from here? Plastic, buldings, roads and other manmada stuff is taking over. Or does it? Will nature survive, when the monuments of the arrogant human race has vanished from mother earth, due to our lack of love and respect for nature?

Pork decorations

The danish design school had a great julemarket today and to my surprise they sold meat.  Pictures below shows Christmas decoration designs from 3 young designers. Tue Frier made me smile and drool at the same time, with his meat decorations like the unforgettable sausage garlands. Naja Jørgensen gave crawl gnomes a new angle with a political wiew on the danish scarfdebate. Laura Rathschau Nielsens crawl gnomes need no exoplanation. Now Oprah is with me all christmas…

Graphic lover

I always loved Graphic Art. My first encounter was in my grandfathers basement making woodcuts. In the late 80′es I graduated from Grafiska Verkstan in Tidaholm, Sweden – an education in the old handcraft of Lito- or Stone Print.  I was lucky together with 6 others to be  accepted at the school, and studied for 2 years.  One of them was Lage Pergon. He is a sweedish artist with a big heart and a big variety of art expressions – tjeck out this portable tree.

The other day I passed my favourite art shop and gallery in Copenhagen,  CLAUSENs in Toldbodgade. It is a fantastic spot to see and buy unique Danish graphics. They have a long list of interesting artist.

One of my favourites are Ole Sporring. He creates crazy universes in his works, with a lot of humour. Maria Buras makes both soft and disturbing pieces.

I bought my first art piece at Clausens 7 years ago when I turned 40. It’s an early Mette Winkelmann, a tiny pink one with 3 doors, two in the walls and 1 in the floor, named: ‘No more trouble’. I still love it.

But the one artist who’s Graphic works I really like is finish Seppo Mattinen. He is a kind man too. His eminent woodcuts is full of life and love and NOW and can be found here – or even better take the trip to Clausens in Nyhavn and see them IRL.

There is so much great graphic art online, like the fascinating lino cuts from Anne-Marie Ploug. ‘Less is more’ they say to me, and I would like one of her wood cut medals after i endured 50 years on this planet, still full of hope for humanity. John Kørner is another fabulous danish artist. I love this print and everyone can afford it.  

When it comes to serigraphy I cant ignore the great popartists Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist and someone I recently found who makes psycedelic wonders like below; Richard Anuszkiewicz .

blog action day ’09

Blog action day is about climate change.

This is a chance for people around the world and in the United States to join together in telling President Obama that we want him to lead the United States in taking bold and significant action to reduce greenhouse gasses.

We all have a voice – use it.  Find MY VOICE HERE 

Turbulent – and the right to sing

Taking an art trip in Copenhagen city yesterday, I found myself sitting in front of the video Turbulent made by Shirin Neshat in Gallery Faurschou. Shirin Neshat was born in Iran in 1957. She has lived in exile in New York for almost 30 years. Turbulent focuses on the position of the sexes within the framework of an Islamic social structure. An astonishing powerful work, which made me blown away. Go and see it. I realized then that women in Iran are not aloud to SING in public. Such a deep and fundamental human right, as to let your soul sing in joy or pain. 

A primal scream. A woman singing with COMPASSION for those left behind in the darkness of Iran. It is time to free the song of those women in mental, psychologically and spiritual prison all over the world.

Print by Hekla

HOME SWEET PLASTIC

 Plastic Fantastic artist Hekla Hekla, serve a cup of plastic soup the 4th of  september at DOK#1 in Aalborg, Denmark.

‘Home sweet plastic’ is an art event/installation in the Cool Trash section.

Want to know more about plastic?

DEEP GREEN : ’Environmental Art’

Going to ‘Den frie Udstillingsbygning’ in Copenhagen today was one of the rare moments of real pleasure and learning. ’Environmental Art’ started long time ago but still has very significant messages for TODAY.

 Aasa Sonjasdotter from Sweden, presented A Potato Perspective on: The Order of Potato. And I came home with bags of potatoes  that are NOT on the EU´s list of PERMITTED POTATO species, which means its illegal to grow them commercially. I will plant a handful of old potatoes, in my garden for the sake of diversity and so they will not be forgotten. “The act of distribution of marganalized varieties is a real strenght of the important genetic diversity, that are now locked only into gene banks.

Nis Rømer is part of the FREE SOIL group: Free Soil bus tour of Silicon Valley.  When we happily buy our new computer, few of us probably fully concider the consequences for the environment. “While typically lauded as the engine of the high-tech global economy and a generator of wealth for millions, Silicon Valley is also home to some of the most toxic industries in the nation, and perhaps the world. Next to the nuclear industry, the production of electronics and computer components contaminates the air, land, water, and human bodies with a nearly unrivalled intensity.”
14% of computers are made from Aluminium (Bauxit), which is extremely energy intensive. 40% is Copper and we all know the consequences for people working in the mine companies. Lead is taking up 1,5-4 kg. space in a computer which have high and chronic effects on micro organisms, plants and animals.

SVTC – Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition 
CLUI – The Center for Land Use Interpretation  

Would like to enhance Agnes Denes who is one of the early pioneers of the environmental art and Doris Blooms firedrawings from South Africa.