ØRNULF OPDAHL
In 1893 the great Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen embarked on a perilous journey in a specially built boat, the ‘Fram’, to try to reach the North Pole. He didn’t return to Norway until 1896 having endured extraordinary hardships trekking the farthest north any human being had ever been. Although he was a scientist, he was also a talented draughtsman and watercolourist. He took paintings on board with him, too, and as the first owner of Edvard Munch’s ‘Starry Night’ produced watercolours of the arctic wastes suffused with melancholy and mystery.
Those of us familiar with Ørnulf Opdahl’s work from his earlier exhibitions in Newcastle and London will recall his disturbing images of the threatening power of nature in his Nordic landscapes. Indeed when Robert Rosenblum, in discussing Edvard Munch, wrote of his sensitivity to the extremes of nature’s forces, “first the extinction of light in the long, dark and cold winter, and then the dramatic resurrection of the sun which reigns during the summer months, deep into the night” he could equally have been invoking Opdahl. His intense, lyrically charged work projects the sort of enkindled presence of the elements – earth and fire, wind and water – which is only to be encountered in the Far North.
AVAILABLE WORKS
Ørnulf Opdahl
The Island at Evening
Watercolour on paper
11 x 23cm (image)
Framed
Signed by the artist along the bottom edge. The price includes framing.
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
Ørnulf Opdahl
Morning Light IV
Watercolour on paper
11 x 23cm (image)
Framed
Signed by the artist along the bottom edge. The price includes framing.
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
Ørnulf Opdahl
Breakwater II
Watercolour on paper
22 x 22cm (image)
Framed
Signed by the artist along the bottom edge. The price includes framing.
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
Ørnulf Opdahl
Boulders on a Jetty
Watercolour on paper
23.5 x 23.5cm (image)
Framed
Signed by the artist along the bottom edge. The price includes framing.
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
Ørnulf Opdahl
The Island
Watercolour on paper
15 x 23.5cm (image)
Framed
Signed by the artist along the bottom edge. The price includes framing.
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
‘Western Norway consists of shades of grey, ranging from dazzling white to coal black. This multitude of shades and their orchestration never ceases to fascinate me.
If you look closely, you notice that darkness is never black - it always has a colour, a temperature. Darkness appears monotonous only at first glance.
I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness’
-Ørnulf Opdahl
Toward the Light: The Paintings of Ørnulf Opdahl includes 164 colour images creating a visual chronology of the artist’s paintings spanning the years from 1990 to the present.
William Varley’s accompanying essay describes the artist’s philosophical and artistic influences which include romantic predecessors as diverse as Wordsworth, Peder Balke and Rothko.
He maintains that Opdahl’s predilection for seeing light as a spiritual element rather than merely a natural phenomenon brings us closer to understanding him as a remarkable heir to nordic romanticism.
Paperback, 28 x 28cm
192 pages (164 full colour illustrations)
Editor Mara-Helen Wood
Essay by William Varley
ISBN 978-0-9935228-0-2
Ørnulf Opdahl
Rytter
Etching, edition of 50
17 x 23cm (image)
Framed
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
Tind I
Etching, edition of 50
23 x 17cm (image)
Framed
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Ørnulf Opdahl
Röyk
Etching, edition of 50
23 x 17cm (image)
Framed
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
Byens Lys
Etching, edition of 50
17 x 23cm (image)
Framed
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Ørnulf Opdahl
Mot Land
Etching, edition of 50
17 x 23cm (image)
Framed
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
Remains of Daylight
Lithograph, edition 40/80
74 x 72cm (image)
Framed
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
Winter
Lithograph, EA (épreuve d'artiste)
31 x 102cm (image)
Framed
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
Smoke
Lithograph, Edition of 80
70 x 70cm (image)
Framed in grey
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
Smoke
Lithograph, Edition of 80
70 x 70cm (image)
Framed in black
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
Winter Light, Alnes
Lithograph, edition 8/80
70 x 70cm (image)
Framed
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
Harbour at Midnight
Lithograph, edition 3/80
72 x 76cm (image)
Framed
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
The Last Light
Lithograph, edition 38/80
80 x 62cm (image)
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
Light at Night
Lithograph, EA (épreuve d'artiste)
51 x 100cm (image)
Framed
Signed and editioned by the artist
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
Fire on the Fjord
55.9 x 83cm (image)
Framed
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
More information about Ørnulf Opdahl
Please note
In some circumstances we may not use exactly the same frame pictured, we may have to replace the frame
Ørnulf Opdahl
Bridge (Brygge)
Lithograph on paper, 3/80
20 x 25cm (image)
Framed
Signed, titled and editioned by the artist along the bottom edge. The price includes framing.
Ørnulf Opdahl, one of Norway’s foremost artists lives on the island of Godøy on the sub-arctic west coast of the country. He knows the landscape inside out. He also knows the blizzards, the avalanches and the drownings at sea. Above all he knows the light, and often the darkness. As he has said, “I am sometimes accused of making dismally dark paintings. My response is that in order to paint the light, I have to make room for darkness”. As this implies he sees Nature not as invariably benign but unstable, changeable and ominous.
Information for buyers
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