Unveiled 2003

“Christen Sveaas”
by Anne-Karin Furunes

Sculpture, three panels showing a man i profile.

Christen Sveaas by Anne-Karin Furunes. Photo: Einar Aslaksen.

Christen Sveaas

The sculpture Christen Sveaas consists of plates of industrial lacquered and perforated aluminum. The starting point is a photograph, which – instead of being transferred to the substrate using paint– is turned into ”dots” (raster patterns) cut out of the plates. Therefore, the holes form the subject: A portrait of Christen Sveaas seen in half-profile. This technique, or style, is unique for Anne-Karin Furunes.

The artist has used a photo of Sveaas, interpreted it manually and with a computer, and then perforated the aluminum plates directly by means of hammer and sharpened gouges in different sizes. The portrait resembles a photograph, a painting or a sculpture. The portrait is divided into three freestanding columns. Each section emphasizes one or more sensory organs: The nose and mouth, one eye and finally an ear. The trinity underlines the portrayed model’s presence.

Because of the holes the perforated aluminum plates are partly translucent, which gives them a fleeting, poetic touch. The images almost dissolve when one gets too close, emphasizing the ephemeral and unstable. However, this does not prevent the sculpture, as a whole, from having a monumental, almost authoritarian character.

The portrait of Christen Sveaas is a gift to the museum’s initiator from his friends. It is also a homage to him for his will and effort to preserve a piece of Norway’s industrial history.

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Christen Sveaas by Anne-Karin Furunes. Photo: Einar Aslaksen.

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Christen Sveaas by Anne-Karin Furunes. Photo: Einar Aslaksen.

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Christen Sveaas by Anne-Karin Furunes. Photo: Einar Aslaksen.