FREDRIK SÖDERBERG & CARL LARSSON
11 APRIL – 8 JUNE

Fredrik Söderberg describes his works as 'collages', referring not to the technique used to produce them but to how the content is collated from many different sources. In his watercolors, oil paintings and miniature models we find C.S. Lewis' world of "Narnia", fragments of Nordic mythology, photos of spiritual gatherings, and well-known festivals such as Midsummer. Söderberg creates dreamlike scenes that dwell on the mystical in the everyday and explore its history.

This exhibition includes a selection of illustrations and sketches by Carl Larsson. His whorl of ornamentation and the detailed drawings of knights and dark forests place him in a context of renewed interest for contemporary artists. Several of the works on exhibition are studies for his monumental paintings where figure drawings and nature studies form the basis of his fantastical compositions. Also included in the exhibition are Larsson's illustrations of Swedish writer Viktor Rydberg's romantic tale of "Singoalla".

Elisabeth Millqvist, the curator of the exhibition, describes the process as follows:
"The exhibition started with an urge to investigate why, in the year 2008, art is crawling with witches, shamans and sacrificial rites. This led me to delve into Fredrik Söderberg's oeuvre since he has worked with related themes in the last ten years. In his work there are several paraphrases of Carl Larsson's motifs. I wanted to bring out these references and show a Carl Larsson that seems relevant today. This is how contemporary fantasy ended up next to the dark forests of National Romanticism's mythical worlds."

In descriptions of contemporary art, terms such as narrative and fictional worlds recur. But what kind of narratives do we see? Through the work of Fredrik Söderberg this exhibition explores the contemporary preoccupation with a search for something beyond a rational worldview. By bringing together the work of these two artists Söderberg's referential working method is highlighted and Carl Larsson's work serves as testimony to an historical interest in the same charged symbols and searching in a different age. In this exhibition including over 40 works the visitor is invited to take part in a world of mystical heroes and supernatural phenomena in art dated from the1890's to the present.

Fredrik Söderberg graduated from Konstfack in 2000. Parallel to his exhibition at Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall he will be opening a solo exhibition at Milliken Gallery, Stockholm. This spring he participates in the Armory Show, as well as exhibiting at the Rental Gallery in New York. This exhibition was preceded by a show at Galleri Brandstrup in Oslo in 2007. In Sweden Söderberg has been included in group exhibitions at amongst others Skulpturens hus, Stockholm (2004), Marabouparken, Sundbyberg (2004) and Dunkers kulturhus, Helsingborg (2003). In addition the artist has designed several album covers for IDEAL records. Carl Larsson is perhaps Sweden's best-known and most beloved artist. After attending the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Stockholm he worked as an illustrator of books, magazines and newspapers. He also spent several years in France. On his return to Sweden he and his wife Karin Larsson, also an artist, combined traditional rural Swedish design with modern concepts of color and pattern in the family's newly acquired house in the village of Sundborn in Dalecarlia. The Larssons created a style that has had extraordinary impact on interior design both nationally and internationally. In 1997 the Victoria & Albert Museum in London presented an exhibition entitled "Carl and Karin Larsson: Creators of the Swedish Style" which underlines the importance of this aspect. In 1894 Carl Larsson began to paint a series of watercolors of his home and family, which were published in book form in 1899 under the title "Ett hem" (A home). These works have been strongly influential in the creation of the image of Sweden, and have spread the knowledge of their design. As an artist he created several prominent monumental works - such as large frescoes in schools, museums and other public buildings. Carl Larsson is represented in all major Swedish museum collections.

WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION

Fredrik Söderberg

"Some Men are Made of Steel and Blood", 2005
oil on plexi, 40 x 50 cm
Collection Magasin 3 Stockholm konsthall

"Many Enemies Bring much Honour", 2005
oil on plexi, 40 x 50 cm
Collection Magasin 3 Stockholm konsthall

"Gryning" (Dawn), 2005
oil on plexi, 40 x 50 cm
Collection Magasin 3 Stockholm konsthall

"I stood in hell as mortal man between Satan and the lion", 2005
oil on plexi, 70 x 90 cm
Collection Magasin 3 Stockholm konsthall

"Abstraktion/Konkretion" (Abstraction/Concretion), 2006
diptych, oil on plexi, 40x50cm and 15x20 cm respectively
Collection Magasin 3 Stockholm konsthall

"Mysteriet" (The Mystery), 2003
oil on plexi, 90 x 50 cm
private collection

"Black Moth", 2006
oil on plexi, 40 x 50
collection Jan Widlund

"Winter Landscape for CS Lewis", 2005
mixed media, 22 x 22 cm

"Höbärgning" (Haymaking), 2008
blandteknik, 20 x 20 cm

"Midsummer Dream", 2008
mixed media, 20 x 20 cm

"Green Ghost", 2008
watercolor on paper, 76 x 56 cm

"Out of Light into Life", 2008
watercolor on paper, 76 x 56 cm

"Abstract Knight", 2008
watercolor on paper, 76 x 56 cm

"Haymaking", 2008
watercolor on paper, 76 x 56 cm

"Rite", 2007
oil on plexi, 15 x 20 cm

"Seans", 2006
oil on plexi, 15 x 20 cm

"Köttets geometri" (Geometry of the Flesh), 2008
diptych, oil on plexi, 20 x 15 cm each

"Färg bortom tid och rum" (Color Out of Space), 2008
oil on plexi, 90 x 120 cm

"Skräckens anatomi" (Anatomy of Horror), 2007
oil on plexi, 50 x 40 cm

"Dream Beast", 2008
watercolor on paper, 76 x 56cm

Carl Larsson

"Dramat" (The Drama), 1907
Floating figure
charcoal and pastel on paper, 61 x 47 cm
Collection Göteborg Museum of Art

"Slottet i skogen" (The Castle in the Forest), 1894
(from the series Singoalla)
ink wash and gouache, 44,4 x 27,1 cm
Collection Göteborg Museum of Art

"Pater Henrik välsignar Erland" (Father Henrik blesses Erland), 1894
(from the series Singoalla)
ink wash and gouache, 45,2 x 26,9 cm
Collection Göteborg Museum of Art

"Erland och Singoalla svär varandra trohet" (Erland and Singoalla pledge their faithfulness), 1894
(from the series Singoalla)
ink wash and gouache, 45,3 x 27,6 cm
Collection Göteborg Museum of Art

"Min hustru sade gossen..." (My Wife Said to the Boy...), 1894
(from the series Singoalla)
ink wash and gouache, 44,9 x 27,2 cm
Collection Göteborg Museum of Art

"Assim ber till den uppåtgående solen" (Assim Prays to the Rising Sun), 1894
(from the series Singoalla)
ink wash and gouache, 45,5 x 27,3 cm
Collection Göteborg Museum of Art

"Assim för bort Singoalla" (Assim abducts Singoalla), 1894
(from the series Singoalla)
ink wash and gouache, 44,4 x 27,5 cm
Collection Göteborg Museum of Art

"Erland med sin moder och Helena" (Erland with his Mother and Helena), 1894
(from the series Singoalla)
ink wash and gouache, 45,2 x 27 cm
Collection Göteborg Museum of Art

"Riddar Erland och fru Helena bevistar mässan" (Sir Erland and Helena Attend Mass), 1894
(from the series Singoalla)
ink wash and gouache, 44,2 x 27 cm
Collection Göteborg Museum of Art

"Erland kommer till klostret" (Erland arrives at the Nunnery), 1894
(from the series Singoalla)
ink wash and gouache, 44,9 x 26,7 cm
Collection Göteborg Museum of Art

"Ynglingen och Erland omfamnar varandra" (The Youth and Erland Embrace), 1894
(from the series Singoalla)
ink wash and gouache, 44,8 x 27,2 cm
Collection Göteborg Museum of Art

The measurements of the following works include their frames:

"Hässjor" (Haystacks)
pencil on paper, 58 x 45 cm
Collection Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

"Skogsbacke" (Wooded Mound), 1896
pencil on paper, 58 x 45 cm
Collection Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

"Svärdfäste" (Sword Hilt)
pencil and watercolor on paper, 58 x 45 cm
Collection Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

"Getter" (Goats)
pencil on paper, 58 x 45 cm
Collection Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

"Riddare i rustning" (Knight in Armor), Lunett I
pencil and colored chalk on paper, 83 x 63 cm
Collection Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

"Flicka med blomstergirland" (Girl with a Garland of Flowers)
Charcoal, watercolor and pencil on paper, 83 x 63 cm
Collection Nationalmuseum

"Girland och eklöv" (Garland and Oakleaf)
watercolor and pencil on paper, 53 x 68 cm
Collection Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

"Gustav Vasa" (King Gustav Vasa of Sweden)
Pencil and oil on cloth, 53 x 68 cm
Collection Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

EXHIBITION PROGRAM

Sunday, 13 April at 2pm. Curator Elisabeth Millqvist gives a tour of the exhibition.
Language: Swedish

Thursday, 8 May 7pm. Lecture by Susanna Åkerman (Ph. D. in Philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis)
In her lecture Susanna Åkerman will use examples from the exhibition to talk about themes such as esoteric movements and the occult, hermeticism, emblems and talismans, the Key of Solomon (Clavis Salomonis), Arbatel de magia veterum and The Sworn Book of Honorius.
Language: Swedish

Thursday, 22 May, 7pm. Lecture by the artist Fredrik Söderberg
Fredrik Söderberg will give a lecture on his sources of inspiration - from the British artist and magician Austin Osman Spare to the writer and mystic Aleister Crowley, the author HP Lovecraft, the film-maker and artist Kenneth Anger, and the horror cult classic The Wicker Man.
Language: Swedish