Thank you for your interest in this story
To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
14
Nov
Norwegian artist joins Picasso and Matisse for major Harrogate art exhibition
An exhibition bringing together the work of Norwegian artist Danny Larsen and modern masters including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Tracey Emin has opened at a Harrogate gallery.
RedHouse Originals hosted a launch event for its final exhibition of the year at its Cheltenham Mount gallery on Thursday night (November 12), unveiling a new collection of watercolours by Larsen alongside an impressive selection of modern and contemporary art.
Larsen, who first exhibited in Harrogate around a decade ago, is a former professional snowboarder who has built a reputation for his atmospheric woodland paintings and distinctive artistic style.
But his latest exhibition, Silver Linings, represents a departure from his familiar large-scale works, featuring 20 original watercolours inspired by an unexpected period of adversity.
Some of Larsen's watercolours. Pic: Robin Clewley
Beauty in the mundane
The collection was born after a serious mountain biking accident left him with badly broken ribs and unable to lift his arms for several months.
“I bought a mountain bike and one hour later I had severely broken my ribs, so I couldn't lift my arms for months,” he explained.
His doctor recommended daily walks to help with his recovery, but the pain forced him to slow down – and during these walks that he began to see the world differently.
I had to walk really slowly because each step was painful. I started noticing the amazing life happening by the side of the road. All the beautiful and colourful flowers that I would usually hurry by.
Suddenly I started seeing an enormous beauty in the rather unfortunate circumstances. And because I had to slow down, I gained so much more.
Danny Larsen. Pic: Magnus Nyløkken
Eventually, he was able to sit with a watercolour pad balanced on his lap and begin capturing what he had discovered.
“I managed to fill the whole block with these silver linings,” he said.
Each painting, he added, reveals “different sides of my personality”.
From Scandi Noir to Harrogate Cosy
Larsen's relationship with Harrogate has grown alongside his artistic reputation, bringing an unexpected international dimension to the town's cultural appeal.
His exhibitions at RedHouse Originals have helped attract an increasing number of visitors from his native Norway.
“We've actually managed to turn Harrogate into quite a destination for Norwegians now. There's people travelling here for these art shows, and Harrogate has become the epitome of, like, 'British cosy'.”
It is an unlikely counterpoint to the familiar world of Scandi Noir.
His longstanding relationship with RedHouse Originals has been central to that connection, and he has plenty of praise for the gallery and its team.
They have something very special at RedHouse. First of all, they're very professional. They're also very nice people, but they have this special interest that I've not seen anywhere else. No other gallery comes close to these guys.
RedHouse gallery. Pic: Robin Clewley
While Larsen's Silver Linings collection takes centre stage on the ground floor, the gallery's first floor offers a further opportunity for art lovers to discover works by some of the biggest names in modern and contemporary art.
The exhibition includes rare and original prints by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Tracey Emin, Andy Warhol and Marc Chagall, alongside works by Balbinder Broadbent and Christopher Kelly.
Silver Linings is on display at RedHouse Originals, Cheltenham Mount, Harrogate, until December 12.
0