Per Arnoldi about oeuvre and art

«Artists – are people, who are endued by His Majesty Chance with  amazing gift of storyteller; people, who  consider their duty to cultivate, develop and  polish this gift by diligent work. Because, when the story finds its implementation, it is logical to share it with others». So said the famous Danish painter and designer Per Arnoldi – about himself, his oeuvre and challenges of art.

 

About oeuvre
To draw the line between painting and design is not so simple. In Danish Academy of Arts existed during many years something like a decorative school: some works and signs clearly showed, that it is a decorative work by its essence and use. This school was called later as mural, after name of special technique, widely used by  followers of Joakim Skovgaard,  who identified themselves later with school «Mur og Rum» («Walls and room»).

As well as there is professional and dilettante decorative art, there is bad and good painting. The line between it is very unsteady. So, like no other, pure Rembrandt understanding of unique and heavy existential art, of course, can’t be compared with decent decorative works. But to build up the hierarchy from these absolutely different worlds in the context of its value would be a mistake, based on wrong or bad formulated logical preconditions. As for Arnoldi, he doesn’t work in one concrete direction. He has as many directions, as many before standing tasks. And each task has its own preconditions, which artist takes as a premise in his oeuvre.

About role of education
Though Arnoldi is a self-taught person, he doesn’t deny the importance of education and enlightenment. He believes that painters should always look for a new knowledge, books, treasures of art, people, who are able to enlarge their scope. Otherwise they will never succeed.
Arnoldi doesn’t accept the overwhelming majority of modern educational institutions, which offer painting education and attract potential students with their «creativity». Finally, if tuition with real painting technique is not foreseen, then, in accordance with opinion of famous painter, you have to develop your skills by yourself. But cohesion and wild youth are crucial here. Creativity – is a hard work and not a leisured pastime.

About state support
Financial support from the state plays a special role for Danish painters. According to Arnoldi’s words, will it disappear – will disappear music, the last book will be closed with a sigh, radio and television will stop broadcasting, newspapers will not be issued, thoughts and opinions will be forced to meet market needs. Market has no soul. For the majority of painters it is all like a death penalty. People will become weaker and denser. But we shouldn’t forget that this thought came nevertheless into somebody’s mind. And this means that it will be in a certain degree the part of our culture experience.

About «enemies» of art
Arnoldi finds that mass media are the biggest obstruction on the painter’s way nowadays. With its refuse to content rich definitions, thoughtful conversations and relevant analysis in order to please superficial and loud reviews between TV-programs. With its refuse to quality in order to please audience and circulation. With its unwillingness to prove obstinately, that this is good and that is bad. With its disability to act. And even taking into account, that Arnoldi could be seen as an idealist and a naïve person, he still believes in people and their ability to differ bad art from real one.

About ministry of culture and its tasks
Speaking about ministry of culture and its tasks Arnoldi reckons that, first of all, it must prepare the base for the culture, defined by the low. At the same time it must guarantee the diversity of decisions made by specialists in this sphere, as well as respect to all suggestions. Ministry of culture must bring culture to population and don’t let it go into a decline. Tasks of ministry of culture become however not so clear, because in Denmark it takes responsibility for sport too. In this connection occurs a wrong impression that each initiative in Denmark could be called as culture.

Misfortune of art, by Arnoldi’s opinion, lies in the fact that it is undemocratic by its nature. Danes would make it with pleasure the part of their democratic society model, but it would resist. It is very simple indeed: someone tells a story better, more interesting and fascinating than others, and someone – worse. It would be stupid to listen to a dull storyteller and not to a one, who, with a spark of talent, amuses his audience – inessential, big or small – with a funny joke or a passage from classic.

About children and art
As is known, during his lifetime Per Arnoldi worked as school teacher. One day a funny story happened to him. It was suggested to color one of the walls of a new school building. During the ceremonial opening all children were standing in a line. Teachers told their speeches, the architect spoke too. When it was the Per Arnoldi’s turn to speak, one kid asked with curiosity: «Why the school needs it?» Probably, he had in mind following: «Can I learn something from this or it is all just for fun» The kid felt obviously that something was wrong. When the painter began to answer his question in a tutorial but welcoming style – a little bit pompous, a little oblique – the kid turned back. The explanation that this is just for fun and shouldn’t be taken too seriously didn’t correspond with adult speeches about art, sense content and intellectual enrichment. But this explanation was more understandable and the kid noticed it.

About ideals
Many people take Arnoldi as an icon, but the painter itself is not sure, what is understood today by this notion. If by «icon» we have in mind recognition as a sign, then it is exactly what he is working on. And if he succeeded in it, it is a good sign. Arnoldi takes himself as a sign, and the specific nature of a sign is that it can and must mean something. And if that sign, which was painted with his works and especially with his words, means something, then Arnoldi succeeded to express it very clearly.

At the moment painter works on implementation of this theory, on its form, expression and significance. When you turn from a beginner into a  person, who may be called as painter of honor and appeal to the world with assistance of words, sounds, theatre performances, then the duty of such a painter is to make this appeal as good and expressive as his talent permits. He must express this sign to a dot. And the fact that Arnoldi adds to it a little bit irony – it is just a limitation. Or it is more his way to keep the feeling. In very deed the painter is completely different, but his real essence unfortunately is for low interest.

About age and talent
Arnoldi is sure, that talent has no age. Mozart and Picasso showed it in the childhood, Titian and Lucian Freud – in more mature age.  But, independent from the talent’s occurrence, it is necessary to train, develop and support the ability to create and promote its results. 

 

Translated by Olga Klisheva

 

Based on Dagbladet Information materials

Photo: Politiken.dk