Scan Magazine | Artist of the Month | Norway
Under the surface.
Rider.
Artist of the Month, Norway
The artist with the beautiful colours Elling Reitan is today one of Norway’s most renowned and popular contemporary multidisciplinary artists. With his personal, unique and timeless style focusing on bold colours and symbolism, Reitan has come to play an important role on the modern art scene. By Ingrid Opstad | Photos: Elling Reitan
Often referred to as the artist with the beautiful colours, Elling Reitan invites the viewer to find their own interpretation of his artwork. Influenced by Edvard Munch and religious Middle Age motifs, he also takes inspiration from his travels and the colours around him. “The red sunrise in the east, seen on the plane to Shanghai and Beijing, is a great source of inspiration and has contributed to my latest paintings, called Rothkoscapes – after the American painter Mark Rothko,” Reitan explains. Reitan’s passion for art started at an early age, but he decided to study philosophy and history of literature before starting a career as a lecturer. “I always practised art as a hobby, and as soon as I started exhibiting, the significant feedback and sales meant I could cut down on lectur108 | Issue 113 | June 2018
ing and focus on my passion,” he says. In 1992, he decided to dedicate his full time to being an artist. “I learnt a lot working as a pupil of Odd Nerdrum, but it was afterwards, when I could experiment more, that my own personal and unique style developed. I always knew I was a colourist, which was something I could finally explore,” says Reitan. His love of colour and his timeless and surreal expression have played an important role in his success. Although Reitan is known for his vivid colours, he is also famed for his use of the stroke pair that first appeared in 1983. “The pair stem from the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang, symbolising opposites that together form a whole. I
started portraying them in my paintings not only to create depth and perspective, but because the two silhouettes stand for dualism,” says Reitan. Today, the stroke pair has found its place in all of his works on an equal level to his own signature. “People often look for them in my art. Sometimes they can be small and hidden, which makes it interesting for the observer,” he smiles. Since his debut in 1979, Reitan has participated in more than 150 exhibitions in Norway and abroad, including at Redwood Museum in Beijing, the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle, and Noyes Museum of Art in Atlantic City, as well as in New York, Oslo, and Singapore. Elling Reitan has had two paintings on display in the US at Heritage Auctions, sold at a noteworthy price.
To purchase his artwork, visit his website: www.ellingreitan.com