Kjell Thorjussen
Kjell Thorjussen: landscape, light and lithography
Kjell Thorjussen (born 1942 in Porsgrunn) is a Norwegian visual artist particularly associated with printmaking. He studied at the Norwegian National College of Art and Design from 1965 to 1968 and the National Academy of Fine Arts from 1970 to 1976. Kunstnerforbundet's CV records solo exhibitions in Porsgrunn and Oslo and acquisitions by public collections.
Subjects and artistic expression
Nature, buildings and effects of light are central to Thorjussen's pictures. Kunst på Arbeidsplassen places him among artists described as neo-romantic in the 1970s. His subjects include close studies of nature as well as more expansive landscapes.
Lithography has been his principal printmaking technique. In 1977 he established his own lithographic workshop. He has also worked in oil and watercolour, so a print and a painting with related subjects must not be described as the same kind of object. Store norske leksikon also distinguishes the more naturalistic lithographs from his freer painterly expression.
Documented works as reference points
The Kunst på Arbeidsplassen collection records the lithographs Tistler III and En varm dag, both dated 1981. Such records provide useful references for titles and techniques, but cannot by themselves authenticate another sheet with a similar subject.
Stavanger municipality records an untitled lithograph dated 2004 at Hafrsfjord school. Its entry gives an image format of 45 × 30 cm and the edition number 2/12. These details apply to that particular impression and must not be transferred to other prints or variants. The example demonstrates why subject, size and inscriptions should be examined together.
Signature, edition and condition
Record image and sheet dimensions, signature, title, numbering and reverse, separately from frame dimensions. Examine paper, staining, fading, tears and framing effects. Preserve invoices and gallery labels. A signature or edition number alone establishes neither technique nor authorship. OBA describes «Bybakken» as a print; its specific technique requires assessment of the individual work.
Further reading and art at OBA
Read about lithography, artists’ signatures and provenance and ownership history. See OBA’s listing titled «Bybakken» for the individual description, condition, documentation and availability. For information about selling art to OBA, visit our buying and selling page.
Sources
Kunstnerforbundet: Kjell Thorjussen, CV; Store norske leksikon: Kjell Thorjussen; Kunst på Arbeidsplassen: prints by Kjell Thorjussen; Stavanger municipality: Untitled, 2004.
