Ørnulf Opdahl is a distinguished contemporary landscape painter from Norway, and this month he will bring more than 30 of his newest works to the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle. The exhibition, “Ørnulf Opdahl — Mood Paintings of the North”, will run from June 28 through September 1, 2013. Additionally, Opdahl will give an artist talk on Saturday, June 29.
Opdahl’s works are distinctly influenced by the dramatic west coast of Norway. He lives and works on the island of Godøy, which, like the Pacific Northwest, is marked by contrasts in elevation, transitory weather, and ephemeral light. The landscape of the Sunnmøre Mountains and nearby fjords informs his work and reflects his knowledge and affinity for his surroundings: the glaciers, the trails around the fjords, and dramatic cliff faces.
“Nature has the leading role in Ørnulf Opdahl’s art; wet, cold, rough, poetic, and, at times, almost abstract,” says Lizette Gradén, Ph.D., chief curator of the Nordic Heritage Museum. “His interpretations of the Norwegian west coast nature may be seen as a renewal of the Norwegian landscape painting in the tradition of Johan Christian Claussen Dahl and Peder Balke. A mixture of concrete experiences and abstract impressions converge in his quest to capture the landscape’s changing mood and atmosphere. Opdahl distills the mood of western coastal landscape of Norway, which is much like Washington State, but on steroids.”
Opdahl has shown his work in dozens of solo exhibitions throughout Europe since 1966, and his work can be found in collections of Norway’s National Gallery, the British Museum in London, the National Library of Norway, among many other private and public collections.
Exhibition–Related Programs at the Museum
In conjunction with the exhibition, the Museum will offer these related programs:
Thursday, June 27, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Member & Press Preview: Members & press are invited to this special preview reception with artist Ørnulf Opdahl.
Saturday, June 29, 2:00 p.m.
Artist Talk: Listen as Opdahl, who has come from Norway for the opening of the exhibition, talk about his atmospheric landscapes. Cost: Free for Museum Members; free with Museum admission for non-Members.
Tuesday, July 30, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. & noon - 1:30 p.m.
Workshop: Landscapes for Kids; Liisa Manery and Alison Church teach kids to create landscape paintings inspired by the exhibition. Ages 6+; cost: $10 per child for Museum Members; $12 per child for non-Members.
More at www.nordicmuseum.org/exhibitions.aspx#opdahl.
Exhibition support is provided by Synnøve Fielding, Erik Breivik, 4Culture, The American-Scandinavian Foundation, Artsfund, Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and the Sons of Norway Foundation.