I could not possibly pass an opportunity to feature an artist with a name like Odd Nerdrum. He's known as a Norwegian artist, though born in Helsingborg, Sweden on this day, 8 April, in 1944.
I should not poke fun at his name, but it's tempting to do so, especially as it seems to fit him so well.
A piece about Nerdrum at Art Cyclopedia by Paul A.Cantor, The Importance of Being Odd: Nerdrum's Challenge to Modernism, tells that the artist is, temperamentally a rebel, whose childhood vicissitudes left a mark upon him. The full article is a good and enlightening read, by the way.
This video offers samples of his work:
Snip from a book "Essays on the End" (See here) - click on image for clearer view:
Nerdrum's paintings do not appeal to me, in much the same way that Mad Max the movie didn't appeal to me. Some of his subjects are seriously unpleasant; there's one titled Twilight which made me consider changing my long-time screen name! Perhaps the subjects of his paintings are a way of dispelling his own inner discomforts.
I noticed during Google searches that Mr Nerdrum is presently, or has recently been, in prison for tax evasion - see here. Ever the rebel!
ASTROLOGY
A look at his natal chart, set for 12 noon as no time of birth is available.
Born on 8 April 1944 in Helsingborg, Sweden.
Rebel? I look for Uranus first. Semi-sextile Mercury on one side and Mars on t'other, also sextile Pluto and trine Neptune - so while Uranus isn't in an obviously prominent place (though it could be on Nerdrum's ascendant degree for all we know) it is linked in to several personal planets in both helpful and challenging ways.
Venus, planet of the arts, forms part of the T-square formed by Venus opposite Neptune, Venus square Saturn and Saturn square Neptune. His art style, harking back to the age of the Great Masters, could be seen as represented by Saturn, while the imaginative topics of his paintings are represented by Neptune's creativity. The darkness and/or eroticism in many of his paintings have to be reflected by Pluto links: Sun sextile Pluto could be the main culprit there.
Moon's natal position can't be known withouta precise time of birth, but would have been somewhere in Libra, possibly even in trine to rebellious Uranus in Gemini - that'd be a good fit!
I should not poke fun at his name, but it's tempting to do so, especially as it seems to fit him so well.
A piece about Nerdrum at Art Cyclopedia by Paul A.Cantor, The Importance of Being Odd: Nerdrum's Challenge to Modernism, tells that the artist is, temperamentally a rebel, whose childhood vicissitudes left a mark upon him. The full article is a good and enlightening read, by the way.
Nerdrum has openly acknowledged his debt to the Old Masters. He uses heavy layers of paint to create chiaroscuro effects reminiscent of Caravaggio and Rembrandt, and he also continually recalls the achievement of the great Italian and Dutch painters in his ability to capture the texture of things on canvas - from shiny metals to rich fabrics. Above all, he knows how to convey every shade of human flesh. And yet the subject matter of Nerdrum's works is usually enough to place him in the modern world. His dark palette seems to underwrite a disturbing vision of the end of civilization as we know it. For those who have not seen Nerdrum's paintings, I try to describe them this way: imagine the result if Rembrandt had painted the sets of The Road Warrior.
This video offers samples of his work:
Snip from a book "Essays on the End" (See here) - click on image for clearer view:
Nerdrum's paintings do not appeal to me, in much the same way that Mad Max the movie didn't appeal to me. Some of his subjects are seriously unpleasant; there's one titled Twilight which made me consider changing my long-time screen name! Perhaps the subjects of his paintings are a way of dispelling his own inner discomforts.
I noticed during Google searches that Mr Nerdrum is presently, or has recently been, in prison for tax evasion - see here. Ever the rebel!
ASTROLOGY
A look at his natal chart, set for 12 noon as no time of birth is available.
Born on 8 April 1944 in Helsingborg, Sweden.
Rebel? I look for Uranus first. Semi-sextile Mercury on one side and Mars on t'other, also sextile Pluto and trine Neptune - so while Uranus isn't in an obviously prominent place (though it could be on Nerdrum's ascendant degree for all we know) it is linked in to several personal planets in both helpful and challenging ways.
Venus, planet of the arts, forms part of the T-square formed by Venus opposite Neptune, Venus square Saturn and Saturn square Neptune. His art style, harking back to the age of the Great Masters, could be seen as represented by Saturn, while the imaginative topics of his paintings are represented by Neptune's creativity. The darkness and/or eroticism in many of his paintings have to be reflected by Pluto links: Sun sextile Pluto could be the main culprit there.
Moon's natal position can't be known withouta precise time of birth, but would have been somewhere in Libra, possibly even in trine to rebellious Uranus in Gemini - that'd be a good fit!
