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On exhibitions at Oslo National Museum and Fine Art Tjuvholmen.

This spring saw two simultaneous epochal exhibitions: From Darkness to Light, Modern Gothic and William Heimdal «Volcano». The second attracted a crowd of spectators so huge the queue which gathered for opening stretched all the way into the harbour. The artist is the probably youngest member of Memoriosa collective initiated by Odd Nerdrum to educate the youth in Renaissance tradition both in regards of painting technique and world view and the presented artist is an enthusiastic agitator for both by both being a reality show participant and protagonist in tv documentary Renaissance Prince. Often sounding in accord with ideas of Maestro Nerdrum and other members, his art is much darker and fully falls into cathegory Gothic rather than New Renaissance. The cut out bleeding heart on the table (the topic i had rendered in painting “Forbidden Fruit” now in Salem Art Gallery, Massachusets), self portraits as Clovis and Jesus on cross and allegoric set of drawings ranging from Black Milk sketch scribble featuring a nursing catwoman with a frame taken from famous spermcell frame of Munchs Madonna to portrait sketches – it was a talk of town and commercial success.

We enter the William Heimdal exhibition, a dark hall with just paintings being brightly lit, from a bright exhibition of fully lit rooms by a contemporary graffiti artist and skateboarder.

Modern Gothic with headlight From Darkness to Light is chaotic. I understand the concept of Middle Ages being seen as as Dark Ages, nevertheless the multiple exquisite intenselysharp and bright Lucas Cranach paintings it starts as «dark» part, and Gothic Cathedral topic contradict it. While the end of exhibition is Triumph of Lucifer relief by Vigeland leading directly to Edward Munch hall and The Sun as central piece referring to The Light part of exhibition, sardonically enough painted by dark author of Jealousy and Scream having had himself a contradictory and personally tormented life.