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Clip of Re:Surfaced in Napoli
Shot this short video for the Re:surfaced art project while we were in Napoli. It’s an excellent example of a surface I fortuitously stumbled upon while walking down a busy market street somewhere near the city’s train station.
Re:Surfaced Napoli
Maybe it’s because “Naples” sounds too much like “Nipples” or, that there’s a Naples in Florida, a state I’ve visited a few times and which is currently going through some weird political stuff. In any case, I much prefer calling the southern Italian city Napoli, where the above Re:Surfaced artifact was captured.
Detox: Italian Cuisine
Home again after three wonderfully intense days in Napoli and two on the island of Ischia. After indulging in way too much pizza and pasta, I am now swollen, inflated, and in desperate need of a dietary detox.
Returning home to our giant bed, which cushy comfort no hotel bed comes even close to, is always something to look forward to. Especially after flying with no-frills Ryan Air.
Castello Aragonese Ischia
Charlotte and I are currently working on a travel story on the island of Ischia in the Bay of Napoli. The above photos depict Castello Aragonese d’Ischia, an ancient castle that was originally built some 25oo years ago. That’s a mind-bogglingly long time ago. Even for this country.
My very first visit to Italy was in 1983 during a month-long Inter Rail tour of Europe. It started with a few hours in Ventimiglia, three or four days in Rome, and before heading to Corfu on a night ferry across the Adriatic Sea (when I slept on the top deck next to four Danish gals and two guys from Canada), I spent a day in sleepy Brindisi.
It just struck me that aside from Sweden, there is no other European country I’ve visited more or as often.
So, I asked myself why and came up with a few, reasonable answers.
• How could I possibly not be in awe of a country with so many world-class artists, designers, and architects?
Napoli Morning
Here’s the view from our hotel room this morning. Charlotte and I are back in Italy for what I believe is the 8th or 9th time. We’ve were in Sorento and along the Amalfi Coast a few years ago, but this is our very first visit to Napoli.
We spent about half of yesterday exploring the city’s colorful, gritty and surprisingly hilly streets. It took only a few minutes to realize how much more alive and kicking Napoli is when compared to Florence where there seem to be only tourists and no locals.
We then took a local train to Pompeii, the fascinating, 2000 year old Roman city that was buried under ashes when Mount Vesuvius erupted, killing approximately 1150 people.
Before heading back to the hotel to rest our tired feet and legs (after 30k steps), we enjoyed an absolutely terrific dinner at a whimsical ristorante called Signora Bettola on via Medina.
ChatGPT: My Travel Addiction
I just asked ChatGPT this question: Why is traveling so enjoyable and inspiring? While not the most poetically written prose I’ve ever read, the chat bot’s response was nonetheless accurate and relevant:
Traveling is enjoyable and inspiring for many reasons, as it offers a unique opportunity to explore new places, learn about different cultures, and gain a broader perspective on life.
Here are some of the key reasons why traveling is so enjoyable and inspiring:
• Traveling offers a break from the daily routine, which can be monotonous and tiring. It offers a chance to escape the mundane and explore something new and exciting.
• It challenges us to step out of our comfort zones, try new things, and learn new skills. This can be empowering and inspiring, as it helps us grow and develop as individuals.
• A trip can generate lasting memories that we can look back on and cherish for a lifetime. Whether it’s watching a sunset over the ocean or hiking to a remote mountain peak, these experiences stay with us and shape who we are.
• Traveling allows us to learn about different cultures, customs, and ways of life. This can broaden our perspective and help us appreciate diversity and inclusivity.
• Traveling can inspire creativity by exposing us to new sights, sounds, and experiences. This can be particularly helpful for artists, writers, and musicians looking for inspiration.
• Traveling offers a sense of freedom and independence that is hard to replicate in everyday life. It allows us to choose our own path, meet new people, and explore the world on our terms.
Re:surfaced from Stockholm
Not until yesterday did it strike me that my Fuji x100v had not been emptied of the resurfaced pieces I’d captured while Elle and I was in Stockholm the other week. Here’s one of four keepers.
The Weekend: Vejbystrand & Art
It’s been an intense weekend to say the least. I spent the better part of today (Sunday) in the studio painting, sketching and thinking. We spent most of yesterday in Vejbystrand where we enjoyed spectacularly beautiful spring weather. The drone view above is from May 2021.
New Abstract Artwork: Euphoria
The other day, a woman walked into my Pop Up gallery. We spoke for about an hour about this and that and eventually touched upon the subject of my abstract art which she admitted feeling confused by. I did my best to explain my perspective and why the genre is so important on a cultural level. I’ve summed up some thoughts about this divisive art genre below.
Abstract art has had tremendous historical and cultural significance since it emerged as a major artistic movement in the early 20th century, during a time of enormous social, cultural, and intellectual change. The genesis of abstract art was closely linked to broader cultural and philosophical movements such as modernism, existentialism, and the search for new forms of expression in the wake of World War I.
Ok. But what is abstract art?
Fundamentally, non-figurative or abstract art does not necessarily attempt to represent the external reality of objects or subjects through recognizable forms, shapes, or figures. Instead, abstract art can use colors, shapes, lines, and other non-representational elements to create a unique visual language that is independent of any references based on any known “reality”.
In other words, abstract art is not concerned with depicting objects or people as they appear in the real world, but rather with creating visual experiences that exist in their own right. This type of art often emphasizes the use of color, texture, and form to convey emotions, ideas, or concepts that are not necessarily tied to anything in the physical world.
To me, one of the primary appeals of abstract art lies in its ability to evoke a range of emotional and intellectual responses from viewers. Because it does not rely on recognizable forms or subject matter, abstract art is open to interpretation and invites onlookers to engage with it on an intuitive level. This allows for a more personal and subjective experience of the artwork, as different viewers may have different reactions and associations with the same piece. So, as with the aforementioned visitor to the gallery the other day, confusion is a perfectly acceptable reaction.
New Painting: UP 2023
Here’s a new 60 x 90 cm acrylic painting titled “UP 2023”. The conceptual idea stems from how ever deep we fall into life’s many and often seemingly treacherous crevasses, the only way out is up, up, UP!
In the 1980s, I painted with tubed oil colors and occasionally even dabbled in mixing and producing homemade phosphorous night-glowing paints. There are qualities of oil paint that acrylic can’t replicate – even when using a medium to increase viscosity. On the other hand, the fact that acrylic dries so insanely fast means I get to make changes with immediate visual effects instead of having to wait for a layer of oil paint to dry. Also, after ten years of oil painting, i can no longer stand the smell of turpentine and the thinner I used to clean brushes, tools, and hands is definitely off-limits.
Resurfaced in Malmö & Painting
Before my two talks at Malmö Latin last Friday, I walked around the block and found this wonderful utility box packed with layers upon layers of posters, stickers, and whatnot.
I don’t intend to stop collecting artifacts for the Resurfaced series, but not since the late-1980s have I been as focused on painting as I am right now.
It’s physical, mental, and emotional work for sure. And obviously nowhere near as almost instantaneously gratifying as when I’m working on photography and film projects. But I so desperately needed to re-find creative satisfaction in painting and distance myself from the computer screen’s allure.
Heavy Metal in Sieng Gong
Here’s “Heavy Metal”, the short documentary I’ve composed from over 10 years of serendipitous filming in Sieng Gong, the sub-district of the Talat Noi neighborhood in Bangkok.
Washing Up
Yesterday, while cleaning up from a 4-hour painting session, I became intrigued by the cleaning process itself. So that’s what the above video is all about.
Talk at Malmö Latin
This is the beautiful venue where I had my talks this last Friday for graduating seniors at Malmö Latin, a well-known performing and visual arts high school in Malmö. The talk’s overreaching theme was creativity, passion, and the art of visual storytelling through film and photography.
It’s been a little over a year since two of the school’s teachers were horrifically murdered by a violently disturbed student. This was not something I wanted to touch on during my talks, but thoughts of the incident were not easily ignored. Especially while I was sitting in the teacher’s lounge, waiting to take the stage.
I’ve been engaged to do these talks for about a decade now and continue to enjoy each opportunity I get to inspire young people by highlighting some of the creative processes within my profession. I also stress the importance of trying different jobs in order to discover and eventually work with something they truly feel passionate about.
I summed up both of Friday’s talks with this: Friends, lead with your heart but be forgiving towards yourselves whenever you fuck up. According to an ancient Chinese legend, you’ll likely fuck up at least 10,000 times before getting really good at anything you do in life. But don’t let that discourage you!
Photo credit: Charlie Kristiansson, film teacher at Malmö Latin.
POP UP GALLERY OPENING
Here’s what it look like outside of the new gallery and art studio last night. We had a couple of dozen invitees, a few good friends and some art-curious passerbyers join us for what turned out to be a very lovely grand opening.
NEW BOOK! NEW GALLERY!
Finally, finally, finally. My new book is now available for order on Amazon. I have been documenting an incredibly remarkable area called Sieng Gong along the Chao Phraya River near Bangkok’s Chinatown. Last fall, I finished the documentation and now you can order the book “Heavy Metal” on Amazon.se or Amazon.com.
Some of the book’s pictures will be shown during tomorrow’s open house at our new Pop Up Gallery between 16:30-20:00 on Hallenborgs Gata 12. Welcome!
Re-learning, Re-teaching, Re-tooling, Oh My!
I’m often naively optimistic, which is probably a good thing. But re-teaching myself or re-tooling my mind to create de-constructed, non-figurative images is proving to be a lot more challenging than I expected. The Resurfaaced project has definitely helped remind me of my younger years as a non-figurative painter. But all those years as a reasonably skilled photographer are also making it hard to not feel and express what I can’t see through a traditional “lens”.
The strive for an aesthetically pleasing composition has become so deeply ingrained, that I have to work hard to free myself from such limiting constraints.
From time to time, I can almost hear how new neuro pathways are being created in my head as I force myself to veer off the path where structure, planning, and met expectations ultimately lead to boredom and indifference.
The Vegan Burger
Whenever there’s an opportunity to order a burger, regardless of where in the world I am, and there’s nothing else on the menu that tickles my fancy, nine times out of ten, I’ll order one.
How many burgers I’ve eaten in my lifetime? I’m guessing that the very first one was likely served to me when I was 4 or 5 years of age.
In a few months, I’ll be 60.
Of the 55 years since my very first bite, I would wager that I’ve on average eaten two burgers per month. So, 24 (per year) x 55 (years) = 1320 hamburgers.
The vegan burger above was from tonight’s dinner at The Vegan Bar here in Malmö. Yeah, it was pretty good. The patty was of some soy construction and not nearly as juicy, chewy, or smokey as I would have preferred. And that bun…oh boy, not having sesame seeds on a hamburger bun was just plain weird. That said, the chili mayo and potato fries did a good job of compensating for the dinner’s pseudo hamburger. Missed pickles, though. 🍔
Return of Raboff the Artist
I am slowly making my way through the mental and physical hurdles that painting has thrown at me during the last few weeks. I can feel a less anxious, less insecure approach and noticeably more fluidity when ideas pass from my mind to my hand.
Much like with writing, the only thing I know for sure is that what I create in the very beginning will likely evolve and perhaps even go through a complete metamorphosis before I’m satisfied with what I’ve created.
And that’s what makes painting so much more interesting (and inherently challenging) than photography. There is no moment to capture, no idea so strong that it can’t be budged or shift shape, color and elements.
But you know what the best part of being in front of a giant canvas again is? That it’s not a screen. The fact that I am spending less and less time in front of a computer feels wonderfully liberating.
Liljevalchs Spring Salon 2023
I took this photograph yesterday, just after Elle and I were leaving one of Sweden’s most famous art institutions, Liljevalch’s Art Museum. We had walked about 40 minutes to get there, mostly through an intense snowstorm. And even if the museum was packed, the warmth was nonetheless welcome.
Judging from the large amount of visitors yesterday, Liljevalch’s Spring Salon 2023 will quite possibly be the most popular art exhibit in Sweden this year. Because of the crowds, we only got a chance to see some of the 298 pieces on display and as per the museum’s famous/infamous tradition, the breadth and depth is simultaneously narrow, wide, deep, and shallow. Very little of what we saw was mindblowing or emotionally gripping, but I did find one or two colorful paintings that inspired me.
We continued the day’s cultural theme further down the road with first a warm lunch and then a walk through the several exhibits at the Nordic Museum (Nordiska Muséet).
Finally, after some rest at the hotel, we went to a cineplex at Hay Market and saw the brutally funny new film, Cocaine Bear.
Today, we’re getting back on the tracks again and heading down south to Malmö.