Exhibition:
Bengt Lindström, The Master of Ancient Nordic Mythology
Place:
5211 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640 United States
Press Showing:
Can be booked with Curt Aspelin, +46 (0)70 462 77 73
Vernissage:
Friday, June 28th, 2019 at 6:00 pm
Length of exhibition:
June 29th - September 22nd, 2019
Bengt Lindström’s art, from Storsjö Kapell to Chicago, 2019
Bengt was from northern Sweden, lived in Paris, and became one of Sweden’s most internationally renowned artists. Today his art can be found in a number of museums around the world. He had a completely unique feeling for colors. He was a master of sculpting paint on the canvas and creating powerful artworks inspired by our Swedish nature, the people of the north, and Nordic mythology.
Curt Aspelin, organizer of The Bengt Lindström Art Tour
"Bengt used to say that the colors in his artwork are those that can be found at home up in northern Sweden when the snow was gone. Blue is the mountains, red is the autumn landscape, and green and yellow are spring and summer."
Curt Aspelin, organizer of The Bengt Lindström Art Tour
"It is a great honor for me and The Bengt Lidström Society that we now can display parts of the large Bengt Lidström collection at the Swedish American Museum in Chicago. During 1946 and 1947, Bengt studied at the Art Institute in Chicago. During his studies he painted two fantastic oil paintings that we are especially proud to show at the Swedish American Museum."
Curt Aspelin, organizer of The Bengt Lindström Art Tour
"Selected artwork will be shown in Chicago. Of course the large oil painting, Biegga Galles, The God of the Storm Wind, 6' 6" x 6' 6", and the hand-woven tapestry, The Man and the Cat, 9' 10" x 9' 10", will be displayed. Chicago will see the world premiere of the floor installation, The Fiddler and The Girls of the Champs-Elysées. Even “The Dancing Gods of Asgard,” Bengt’s renowned ceiling mobile, is along with the exhibition. It includes thirty pieces of art created between 1946 and 2003."
Ingrid Ronkainen, project leader for The Bengt Lindström Art Tour
”It feels fantastic that the exhibition will finally have its premiere in Chicago. It’s been an unbelievable amount of work and so much has happened since 2017 when we had our first showing and world premiere at the community center here at home in Storsjö kapell. Gradually now the exhibition will be shown in seven places in the US and then Europe."
Curt Aspelin, organizer of The Bengt Lindström Art Tour
”Every exhibition is going to be completely unique depending on the sizes of the locations and what they have to offer. Along with the international exhibitions we are even planning several exhibitions which will be shown around Sweden.”
Ingrid Ronkainen, project leader for The Bengt Lindström Art Tour
"The Bengt Lindström Society, seated in Storsjö kapell, Bengt Lindström’s birthplace in Northwest Härjedalen, is run by a number of philanthropists with Curt Aspelin as the chairman. The Bengt Lindström Art Tour and the exhibition, ‘Bengt Lindström, The Master of Ancient Nordic Mythology,’ are our tribute to a great artist who will live on forever through his art."
Bengt Lindström 1925 – 2008
One of Swedens's most beloved artists, Bengt Lindström, was born on the 3rd of September 1925 in the small mountain village Storsjö kapell, in Härjedalen, Norrland. His upbringing in a remote village in the middle of the wilderness, amongst the Samis and mountain people and surrounded by mountains, lakes, forests and mythological legends greatly influenced him as an artist. Bengt used to say that the colors in his artwork are those that can be found at home up in Norrland in northern Sweden when the snow was gone. Blue is the mountains, red is the autumn landscape, and green and yellow are spring and summer.”
As a 19-year-old he traveled out in the world and studied for various masters. In 1947 he finally came to Paris, where he lived and worked for most of his life. Like all other great artists, Bengt Lindström was very productive. Nobody can accurately say how many art works he created during his lifetime. He worked in oil, made lithographs, etchings, artwork in glass, created sculptures and large monumental works. Bengt was never afraid of large formats. The sculpture, The Y, in Timrå, Sweden is 30.5 meters high, weighs 700 tons, and is painted with 3 tons of paint.
Bengt Lindström became famous all over the world for his use of strong colors and rapid, powerful brushstrokes, for his flowing energy and colorful paintings with wild mythological beings constantly present. His subtle feeling for balance did not only fascinate the Swedish audience but also a wide international audience. Bengt Lindström is one of the few Swedish artists who experienced international fame during his lifetime. He is represented at many museums around the world. In 2018 it will be ten years since Bengt Lindström died after a long period of illness.
Press kit downloads
All pictures are authorized by Curt Aspelin and the photographers to use in connection with publications pertaining to the Bengt Lindström Art Tour.
1. Photo: Bengt Lindström, 1967. Photographer © Hans Erixon
2. Photo: Curt Aspelin, 2018. Photographer © Pekka Ronkainen
3. Photo: Curt Aspelin, 2017. Photographer © Pekka Ronkainen
4. Photo: "Biegga Galles, The God of the Storm Wind", oil on canvas, 200 x 200 cm. Photographer © Pekka Ronkainen
The press and media have the permission of Curt Aspelin and the photographer to download the above pictures for publication in connection with articles, in print or digital form, as well as features in television production, pertaining to The Bengt Lindström Art Tour, “Bengt Lindström, The Master of Ancient Nordic Mythology,” Curt Aspelin, or The Bengt Lindström Society in Storsjö Kapell. Curt Aspelin is the only one today who holds exclusive reproduction rights for all of Bengt Lindström’s artwork worldwide.
Press officers:
Curt Aspelin
+46 (0)70 463 77 73
Ingrid Ronkainen
+46 (0)70 756 85 65
Exhibition catalogue:
contact Ingrid Ronkainen for a print version
Info Bengt Lindström Art Tour:
www.bengt-lindstrom-art-tour.se
Organizer: