Galleri Lars Bohman is proud to open the autumn season with an exhibition by Ernst Billgren. The name of the exhibition is Tjyvar (Thieves) and it consists of a series of new paintings. In conjunction with the exhibition is the release of the book with the same title. The paintings in the book are accompanied by excerpts from interrogations where suspected criminals are questioned by the police:
"Bengtsson states that an unknown friend had left the stuff with him. Then he had them for so long that he began to think that they were his own. Then he kind of started to use them. The policeman asks if it happens often that friends leave stuff worth almost half a million at his place. Bengtsson says that stranger things have happened […]" Excerpt from interrogation with Bengtsson
As often Ernst Billgren let the animals play the main characters in his paintings. The motifs of the painting are constituted by classical castle and mansion interiors where different animals have taken possession of the rooms. The animals act as victims and witnesses, but as the name of the exhibition implies, they can also be thieves. Or as Ernst Billgren expresses it:
"You can look at theft and burglary as loans of property with a flexible duration…"
In the rich imagery of Ernst Billgren historic and art historic references work together with mythology and drama. Constantly present is also the humorous and sharp criticism of society. Ernst Billgren paints what we are often used to find in traditional paintings, nature and animals, but the result is often that the viewer starts to question his and hers opinions and ideas.
Ernst Billgren's versatile artistry spans over painting, sculpture, stage and set design, film, music, novels, prints, photo, furniture and jewellery. He is also of current interest as director for his novel Kommittén which has been filmed for SVT with the title AK3, and which will be broadcasted in November. In the beginning of September is also the release of his book Historien om allt.
Ernst Billgren was born in 1957 in Stockholm where he lives and works. He attended the Valand Art Academy in Gothenburg during the 1980s and was later appointed professor. He has also taught at a number of art schools in Scandinavia and is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts. He has had numerous solo shows both in Sweden and abroad and he is represented at, among others, Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Kiasma, Helsinki; Museet for samtidskunst, Oslo and Malmö Konsthall, Malmö.
"Bengtsson states that an unknown friend had left the stuff with him. Then he had them for so long that he began to think that they were his own. Then he kind of started to use them. The policeman asks if it happens often that friends leave stuff worth almost half a million at his place. Bengtsson says that stranger things have happened […]" Excerpt from interrogation with Bengtsson
As often Ernst Billgren let the animals play the main characters in his paintings. The motifs of the painting are constituted by classical castle and mansion interiors where different animals have taken possession of the rooms. The animals act as victims and witnesses, but as the name of the exhibition implies, they can also be thieves. Or as Ernst Billgren expresses it:
"You can look at theft and burglary as loans of property with a flexible duration…"
In the rich imagery of Ernst Billgren historic and art historic references work together with mythology and drama. Constantly present is also the humorous and sharp criticism of society. Ernst Billgren paints what we are often used to find in traditional paintings, nature and animals, but the result is often that the viewer starts to question his and hers opinions and ideas.
Ernst Billgren's versatile artistry spans over painting, sculpture, stage and set design, film, music, novels, prints, photo, furniture and jewellery. He is also of current interest as director for his novel Kommittén which has been filmed for SVT with the title AK3, and which will be broadcasted in November. In the beginning of September is also the release of his book Historien om allt.
Ernst Billgren was born in 1957 in Stockholm where he lives and works. He attended the Valand Art Academy in Gothenburg during the 1980s and was later appointed professor. He has also taught at a number of art schools in Scandinavia and is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts. He has had numerous solo shows both in Sweden and abroad and he is represented at, among others, Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Kiasma, Helsinki; Museet for samtidskunst, Oslo and Malmö Konsthall, Malmö.