“Beyond the Words”Swedish Artist Carl Kohler – 1919-2006
The aficionados of classical art often underestimate the creations of artists who endeavour to challenge themselves to the new heights of creativity. The opinion of many classicists is that abstracted art has only a minor standing in art history. They maintain that abstract or even non-objective art holds little value especially if the work of art cannot be readily identified. Many believe that it is only possible to develop one’s art through step by step study and that without a methodical approach success as an artist is not possible.
The reaction is mainly psychological in that if one is not able to readily identify a subject that we are not depicting them as realistic. However, with the abstractionist their pursuit often goes far beyond the optical into a deeper level of psyche often involving spiritual aspects of human existence which has fascinated humankind for centuries: their joys, fears, sufferings, triumphs and failures. The principle objective of such creative artists is to connect deeper with the soul of the subject.
Today, worldwide, we are witnessing an invigorating resurgence toward this attitude to art and in particular to the discipline of portraiture. Portraiture in Canada was formed on the foundations of classical European art however, as a relatively young nation, the movement wasn’t established in Canada until the height of (the then innovative scientific art form) photography; again where the human form was depicted as the closest thing to meeting the individual themselves. This is still largely how Canadians describe what a proper portrait is.
To such artists belongs the late Carl Kohler (1919-2006) a Neo-Modernist/Abstract Swedish artist whose art grew from his own unique practices based on his own personal experiences and interests. Kohler’s expressive energy for life can be felt to this very day in his art and his versatility as a painter, sculptor and designer of which in each of these fields he was a master. However, of all of the varied arts he endeavoured to experiment and practice in he devoted his attention to the challenging discipline of portraiture. He was not merely satisfied to create an image as others wanted to see it. He strived to maintain independence in thinking, conveying a freshness of individuality and often surprise!
Kohler wanted to create his own personality into his art by infusing it with the personality of his subjects – some he knew, most of them he did not. He created new forms to convey the energy and force of the importance and the impact these subjects had on his life whether they be poet, writer or musician. More often than not he created portraits that tempt the general public to penetrate themselves into the works and untangle the many meanings hidden within, bringing about a new or even renewed awareness of the authors themselves.
Kohler’s knowledge of writers was immense and he was compelled to document his interpretations of each subject in his own unique and intelligent way. He left us with the vibrant and sometimes haunting images of the likes of Simone de Beauvoir, James Joyce, and Carol Joyce Oats to name a few – literary icons imbedded in the annals of time through the eyes of a celebrated Swedish artist who had the vision to remind us all that these legends of the ‘word’ are still relevant in the 21st century.
“Beyond the Words” Swedish Artist Carl Kohler Exhibit will be displayed in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Gallery between April 1 and August 31, 2010. For more information, please visit: www.carlkohler.com
Introduction by: Christian Corbet