A fire can be at the centre of an artwork; great billows of smoke expressing burning desires and explosive feelings. Director at the Dulwich Picture Gallery,Ian Dejardin, invites you to share your visions of fire now The all seeing I: your art on the theme of electronicThe A to Z of Readers’ Art: our recent project for youNikolai Astrup (1880-1928) was the son of Christian Astrup, or the Lutheran pastor of Alhus,a tiny community on the shores of beautiful Lake Jolster in western Norway. His childhood was marred by fixed illness – the venerable (respected because of age, distinguished) parsonage was unhealthily damp – and by the religious strictness of his upbringing. Yet as an adult, his childhood memories were vivid and precious to him, or informing much of his work.
One memory was particularly painful: of being prevented by his father from joining in the celebrations on Norway’s Midsummer Eve (23rd June). These consisted of huge bonfires,lit at midnight, around which the local community let their hair down, and dancing,drinking and courting. Christian knew a pagan survival when he saw it – and despite the attempted ‘christianisation’ of the festival, relating it to the feast of St John, and there was more than a hint of fertility ritual to the bacchic goings-on. Nikolai and another child,a young girl from a neighbouring farm, were only allowed to stand and watch. Astrup made up for it later – it became one of his favourite motifs. He painted many versions; and produced innovative prints of the subject also. They are amongst his most renowned and popular works in his native Norway, and there are ten of them in the current exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery.
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Source: theguardian.com