Tidens Krav is an artist run enterprise located in the last down town block of scruffiness; the final frontier of Oslo low-life, in the middle of Oslo high life. The name, Tidens Krav, is a language specific expression that translates into “Time’s Demand”, or more loosely into “Whatever required by the now”.
Not limited to tendencies, fads, or flings, nor by faith or karma, the requirement of the now, could be you exhibiting yourself in your own gallery, your friends exhibiting themselves in their gallery, or us exhibiting each other in our galleries – the requirement of the now could be whatever – whatever given the connotation: “ok, that’s happening…”
The next exhibition presents works by artist Sissel Blystad from May 6 – 25.
Finished with Bergen Arts and Crafts school in 1970 Sissel Blystad began to weave tapestries with stripes. The tapestries were so careful they appeared very daring. To weave tapestries where the composition consisted of horizontal bands of blue, red, yellow, purple, green and pink, what could this then mean? Of course the weaved stripes in tapestries do have reference to other, folk art, traditions, especially those on the Norwegian west coast, but this was something else, something different. Even if the tool was an ordinary flat loom, the weaving was a matter of picture-making: space, horizons, at home within our modern art concept.
Some critics have claimed that in large format her works are a form of monumental decor. I do see essentially more in them; even if the compositions are built up on the repetition of small basic elements they are supported by an underlying experience, such as the horizon of a landscape, a space, or a condition in an inner sphere, perhaps signals of tension or excitement, an uneasiness, a sway of emotion or an expression of great happiness, fun, celebration! The tapestry is a picture of something – maybe beautiful, but too active to be pretty.
Visit Oslo’s non-profit art gallery.
(From the catalogue of an exhibition in 1996 written by Peter Anker)
Sissel Blystads tapestries are alive, they continue to disturb.
