Faroese Art - The Landscape Expressionists

The Landscape Expressionists

The common denomination “landscape expressionist” comprises a group of diverse artists, solely because the nature and landscape are central themes in their work. Zacharias Heinesen (1936), Thomas Arge (1942–1978), Tróndur Patursson (1943), Torbjørn Olsen (1956), Barður Jákupsson (1943) and Amariel Norðoy (1945) all belong to this group, as do many others. This large generation of painters from the 1930´s to 1960´s has been able to find common stylistic expressions. They exploit the full spectrum of the formal possibilities painting has to offer. They work with the unified whole and detail. Sometimes the subject matter almost disappears in the pure abstraction of the colours and forms, but rarely completely. A reminiscence of the landscape always remains. Not as a true-to-life reproduction, but as a landscape experience which is communicated via a variety of temperaments. So great has their contribution to Faroese art been that for a long time a genuine Faroese painting should preferably be a highly colouristic, expressive and semi abstract landscape, filled with North-atlantic drama. It’s not an unusual critic that Faroese art relies to heavy on nature as a motif. But when the variety of expression is taken into account, the criticism doesn’t seem fair.

• Zacharias Heinesen has in his paintings explored the light and colours of the landscape and tried to render the ephemeral moment.

• In Thomas Arge´s paintings we get a glimpse of the inner structures, shapes and colours of the landscape.

• Bárður Jákupsson has found shapes and colours that others probably do not notice in Faroese Nature.

• In Tróndur Patursson´s work it is the sense of immensity of nature that gains significance.

• The village by the ocean is probably the motif which has been repeated the most in Faroese art. In Countless paintings Amariel Norðoy has repeated the motif and shown it contains unlimited possibilities.

But despite the light and distinct colours of nature and scenery, Faroese art is not exclusively landscape.