Lars Widenfalk

Lars Widenfalk (2007) and his stone violin Blackbird.

Lars Widenfalk (July 31, 1954 in Sveg, Härjedalen in Sweden) is a Swedish artist who works as a sculptor, alternately in Sweden, the Czech Republic and Italy. He is considered one of those who have renewed figurative expression in the Nordic sculpture.[1] He works with many materials, from bronze to snow and ice. But the stone, usually marble and granite, has been his main material. In recent years, often in combination with glass. He is married to the Czech artist Alena Matejka.[2]

Cross my Heart, sculpture in white marble.
Credit: Lars Widenfalk
The violin Blackbird.
Credit: Gabriel Urbanek
Blue Lady, sculpture in blue glass
Credit: Lars Widenfalk

Education

He studied Archaeology and Art History at the Uppsala University, Sweden. Later, a study at the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts in Oslo (1982–85) focusing on the three dimensionality work. The reason why he chose Oslo was a desire to work with figurative sculptures.[2]

Work

Lars Widenfalk has been involved in several projects in the three-dimensional expression, often in collaboration with his wife Alena Matejka. She is educated in the Czech Bohemian glass tradition. It was she who introduced him to the crystal glass, a material he often uses in combination with stone.

His imagery is figurative, and the early works were often realistic and figurative. But this has changed to sculptures with symbolic and soulish expression. Many of his works is around the theme of place and people. The room or the house is usually open in a simple geometric shapes. Marked only with four corner columns and a roof. Usually, a human full-length or only a human head located in the housing. He has also built several large aquarium, where he puts his sculptures, in water the stone's color became much more intense. He also placed living fish in the aquariums, along with his sculpture.[2]

One of his major works are the black violin, Blackbird, made from stone after drawings by Antonio Stradivari (Stradivarius), but with some technical adjustments in order to play. The violin is made of diabase (dolerite), a rock that was left over from his grandfather's tombstone. Thinnest the stone is just 2.5 mm thick. The thin walls of the resonance box is contoured cut with water and then machined with hand tools. It took two years to make the violin.[2][3]

An installation Cross My Arms, St. Agostino, Pietrasanta, Italy, in 2011, consisted of twelve rather like sculptures of maidens with their arms crossed over the chest, made of white marble. A similar sculpture of a woman with arms crossed, is Listen to Your Heart, a granite sculpture with a height of 260 cm.

He has had numerous exhibitions, most in Sweden, but several abroad, mainly in Norway, Denmark, Czech Republic and Italy. Lars Widenfalk is represented in various collections, including the Swedish State Art Council, Göteborgs Art museum, Sundsvalls Museum and House of Parliament in Sweden. Also Norwegian Arts Council and Contemporary Modern Museum in Norway.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Pettersson, Jan Åke. Katalogtext för utställing på Brandts Klaedefabrik, Town Art Hall. Odense, Danmark 1989.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Yman, Bosse. Lars Widenfalk skulptör utan gränser Magasinet Herjedalen. Vinter/vår 2012.
  3. ↑ Kalsi, Jyoti. As a work of art it is unique. Gulf News. (tabloid) February 1, 2005.

Literature

External links

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