Museum Anna Nordlander engelsk text

SUN– CLAY – HAY
KRISTINA JANSSON

8 juni - 31 augusti 200

Opening June 8th 13.00
Inauguration and presentation of the exhibition with Kristina Jansson and the curator Liv Stoltz.

The summer exhibition of Museum Anna Nordlander - SUN-CLAY-HAY with Kristina Jansson is a unique compilation of paintings produced over the last five years. It is the most comprehensive presentation of Kristina Jansson's artistry made in Sweden.

Looking at Kristina Jansson's paintings is to be aware of one ’ s own position as a spectator. She uses the painting as a visual, seductive construction, often integrating photography resulting in an offering consisting of many layers of metaphorical elements. Susan Sontag once wrote, “Art is seduction” this potentially dangerous assumption is also applicable to Kristina Jansson's work.

Kristina Jansson's exhibition SOL - LERA - HÖ deals with issues related to blinding, humanity and death just as the title suggests. The first word in the title SOL refers to blinding, but uses the concept in many different meanings, ranging from the actual optical phenomenon that occurs when the eye is exposed to a strong light to a more metaphorical significance - that one can be dazzled and seduced (and possibly destroyed) by power and knowledge. The enlightened despot has always been defined as the white Western man, a concept that can be traced back to the Enlightenment. The second word in the title - LERA - has to do with the origin of mankind and the arts and suggests that we are dealing with material not only the human body but also the material of art and the creative act. The last word - HÖ - reveals decay and destruction of material. Grass which decays becomes hay - ”ashes to ashes, dust to dust ’ ".

“There is no other medium that is so tangible and so directly connected to its creator. The painting, in its nature of being a complete construction, can touch upon the knowledge that all reproduced images are some sort of arranged lies. I regard the painting as an offensive indicator and means of exposure to our contemporary time. ” - Kristina Jansson

The exhibition can be seen at Museum Anna Nordlander until August 31st 2008.

Nordanå is a cultural center and recreation ground in Skellefteå with art galleries, museums, theater, museum shop and café.

Museum Anna Nordlander
Nordanå
Skellefteå
T +46-910/737 492
F +46-910/736 083
man@skelleftea.se
http://man.skelleftea.org

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Background

Anna Nordlander (1843 -1879) is the historic starting point for Museum Anna Nordlander. She grew up at the rectory in the country parish of Skellefteå. The ladies’ department of the Royal Academy of Art took its first students in 1864. Two years later Anna Nordlander enrolled, and stayed until 1872. After that she studied with the artist Jean Portaëls in Brussels and at the Académie Julian in Paris. The town of Skellefteå owns some forty works: portraits, landscapes, Sami and historic subjects. Anna Nordlander was the first artist to paint everyday life of forest Sami people. Her paintings can e.g. be seen at the National Art Gallery in Stockholm.

The thought of creating a museum for women’s art goes back to 1986. The Town Council then decided to investigate whether to locate a centre for women’s art in Skellefteå. Some incentives:

● Acquisition of the works of Anna Nordlander in the early 1970’s
● Swedish Travelling Exhibitions: ”We work for Life”, exhibited in Skellefteå in 1981/82
● Imbalance in public adornment; in 1962-85, 63 artists were contracted, 9 were women
● Lack of Swedish and Nordic institutes committed to women’s art

Under the guidance of art historian Barbro Werkmäster, a learning investigation was carried out. The proposal acted as the frame of a project running from1992 to 1994. Different activities were tried here and later included in the organisation of the cultural committee: Exhibitions - Library – Archives – Art collection - Seminars – Publication of a series of booklets – The Anna Nordlander Prize for Art and Architecture - Marketing.

In 1995 Museum Anna Nordlander was opened by the then Minister of Culture, Margot Wallström. The greater part of the collections, some 300 works, are exhibited at the City Library and Expolaris Congress Centre.

Development
In 1998, the Skellefteå Town Council appointed a control group with the aim of developing the museum. The project was funded by Skellefteå municipality, Västerbotten County Council, the trust Sparbanksstiftelsen Norrland, the trust Stiftelsen framtidens kultur and EU structural funds. In December 2001, the control group submitted their final report with recommendations for organisation, prioritised activities, finances and location.



House in a wintry landscape Anna Nordlander	Dalecarlian girl Anna Nordlander

The Anna Nordlander Museum has during the years been financed by Mål 1 Norra Norrland, and Sociala fonden [The Social Fund], the emphasis to be on promoting equal opportunities, as well as
Skellefteå Municipality, Västerbotten County Council , Västerbotten County Administrative Board And Swedish Arts Council (Kulturrådet)

Project group:
Project manager: Marie Chrysander
Art-educator: Veronica Olofsson
Grapic Designer: Barbro Frimodig
Contact

A control group with six members has been appointed, with four politicians: three from the municipality and one from the Council. Two specialists in art and gender are also included in the group.

A doctoral candidate from the Gender Research School at Umeå University has been linked to the project.

Priority
The central task for the Anna Nordlander Museum is to set up
an active and creative centre of the highest quality. A centre where artistic creativity can also find other forms of expression: collaborative projects, exhibitions, talks, research seminars, the development of teaching methods, further education, etc.