Arnold Haukeland
Arnold Haukeland (1920 to 1983) was a Norwegian sculptor, born in Verdal and brought up in Sarpsborg. He holds a central place in the emergence of abstract sculpture in Norway. His production also includes portraits, figures and monuments. The tension between heavy materials and an impression of movement makes it misleading to regard him solely as a sculptor of polished steel.
From figures and modelling to open constructions
Haukeland studied under Per Palle Storm and Stinius Fredriksen at the clandestine art academy in Oslo and worked in the restoration workshop at Nidaros Cathedral. His success in a major competition came in 1947 with the design for Friheten at Bærum Town Hall. His contributions to the Autumn Exhibition in 1948 included Islandsk kvinne. These works belong to the figurative background of his later practice.
His nonfigurative work emerged around the beginning of the 1960s. Haukeland modelled preparatory works in plaster for monuments subsequently realised in steel. Welding and polishing offered different possibilities from modelled sculpture: forms could extend outwards, open spaces between their components and meet the light at changing angles. He nevertheless continued making portraits after abstract works had assumed a prominent place in his production.
Air and sculpture in its surroundings
Air, erected at Blindern in 1962, is commonly considered Norway's first monumental nonfigurative outdoor sculpture. The University of Oslo's collection text emphasises both strength and lightness in its freestanding composition. Later works such as Dynamikk (1966) and Høvikodden’s Solskulptur (1970) continue his exploration of forms in relation to space and light. Welded and polished acid-resistant stainless steel became an important material.
Ode til lyset at Storedal in Skjeberg incorporates sound into the work. The sculpture was created in collaboration with composer Arne Nordheim and completed in 1968. Light-sensitive cells were intended to influence the distribution of electronic sound through loudspeakers. Erling Stordahl's cultural site was designed particularly to include people with visual impairments and opened in 1970. The completion of the work and the opening of the site are therefore distinct dates.
Materials and format in assessment
A small model, a preparatory plaster and a large sculpture can belong to the same working process without being the same edition of a work. Record the model's identity, material, dimensions and documentation separately. For a steel work, assess welds, polishing, paint and subsequent alterations in relation to its documented execution. A photograph of a public monument does not establish the authorship or edition of a smaller object with a similar shape.
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