Redefining how art is seen and experienced ™
N E W
Y O R K
All images are exclusively the property and copyright of the artist Aase Birkhaug
It is documented that colors have an effect on the sensory system, and some years ago I made the waiting room in my physiotherapy office into an exhibition for my paintings, so I discovered that it influenced the patients mental state. My paintings are regularly described as very soft and mild. The color combinations I use are tastefully and delicately fused to make a motif that can be described as very soothing to the eye. I discovered several years ago that Roses have a positive effect on me, almost like healing, and the combination of the smell and the sight feels like a meditation, bringing about a certain calmness, this is something I try to reflect in my paintings I also ask myself why am I painting those Roses all the time – I know that I love them but there must be another and deeper meaning. I want to communicate the beauty of nature , the softness , the tenderness , the colorful botanics with their everyday changes, during the day the month the year and during the four seasons in the year. My own impressions of these factors becomes a painting and far more new paintings.
All images are exclusively the property and copyright of the artist Aase Birkhaug
All images are exclusively the property and copyright of the artist Aase Birkhaug
All images are exclusively the property and copyright of the artist Aase Birkhaug
All images are exclusively the property and copyright of the artist Aase Birkhaug
*Your aesthetic; while routed in fundamental art historical themes, is also very distinctive. I’m very interested in are artist with a unique vision places themselves within the art context; which other art and artists they are inspired and influenced by. Within the evolution of your artistic journey, have you found a specific affinity to certain artists, and if so, why? The very famous author Renucio Boscolo wrote about Roses and their historical philosophical and cultural aspects through the phases and years in the world- se link: This is in the Italian language but he speaks about Roses – the history – the use of Roses from a historical philosophical and cultural wieuv. In Italy they call us for the worlds six Rose ladies and I am called The Norwegian Rose painter.
* With each work, or as an artist as a whole, what do you wish to communicate to the audience, and how does this specifically effects the final work? Does this change with different works, or series, or does it remain the same with all of your creations? For me as an artist as a whole, I think I have to explain the history of life – the choice of education and the implementation of the skills and interests which makes me the person I am or have developed to be where the educations and the history of the experiences in life both working life and my own life have made me to the person I am today. It is a three component situation back to when I was 15 years old and had to choose occupation in life and education in life. I had three options – studying at university & studying physiotherapy , attending an art school and or studying botanics at university. When I choose to study physiotherapy was because of interest in medicine & health care bt also because i its not always one can life of being a painter or artist. Today and in the past years I have been thinking of how to combine and how I can combine these three factors so that I can integrate or implement all of them in my daily life.I felt for a long while that I had three separate arenas and I was wondering how I could combine all three of them.Today and these days and the pasy years I feel I have managed to merge them so that it gives me the meaning and completement and fulfillment in life that I have been searching or looking after. Those two factors that are knocking on my “ door” more and more often and more and more intense is doing the painting and being out in the wonderful nature watching the flowers, the Roses and the Botanics and biology.
All images are exclusively the property and copyright of the artist Aase Birkhaug
* In a wider context, why do you think art is imperative for the world, and why is it important for you personally as artist? I think art is imperative and important because we, I and everybody else need positive stimulation to the sensory system –just like a healing effect I think. In art Monaco Magazine there is an article about me and my art and when they announced one of my paintings on their Instagram – they wrote: Parce-que la vie , est aussi un art!
* In your evolution as an artist, (both creatively, conceptually and pragmatically), what has been the biggest frustration or obstacle? I think the frustration or the obstacle has been that people believe or think that I am painting just to paint for myself to have a sort of a hobby or a recreation for myself and they do not understand that I have merged my three factors and two skills together painting Roses for giving the observer a soothing effect. The other factor of frustration or obstacle is having enough time to paint – to let new ideas and new sights come into my brain – filling up the painting energy level to be able to create new paintings that will fill the role that they are meant to fill means giving a positive sight and a positive experience. I quote “ Parce- que la vie , est aussi un art! “
* Artists always vary in the importance placed on communicating their own vision without question or limitation, and the emphasis and importance placed on the audience, and how it can and will relate to them. How do you feel when people interpret your artwork inversely, or is there one primary thing you hope to have the viewer experience? I hope the viewer to experience feeling good looking to the painting both the motives and the colors are important. Several people have when commenting on my paintings that they get a feeling of being in a Rosegarden or my paintings reminds them of the garden they had at home even the smell of the flowers or roses are evoked in them when looking at my paintings. I also have a sort of universal or spiritual connection to the universe and I hope that all the good energies up in the universe will cathch my paintings and give an energy sending to boost the vieuwers. The famous Norwegian painter Eilif Amundsen had painted a rose and he cut the rose from the stem and lifted the rose up in Universe. Symbolically. I have painted a painting – Roses in Universe- which will be one of the paintings I will attend the Florence Bienniale 2017 and the other painting will be Roses still at earth. My future paintings will be combinations of Roses in universe and Roses at the Planet Earth.
BLOSSOMS OF BRILLIANCE:
THE ART OF AASE BIRKHAUG
*What are the principle themes and focus of your work? The principle themes and focus is Nature, Flowers , Roses and the beauty and impact these factors does give when watching the sight , the smell and the colors they reflect. Using ones eyes. Percipating. Looking at what is around. The nature is free – it does not cost anything using it .
I try to reflect in my paintings the beauty ,the colors,the vibrations, the energy and the sensations in the perceptual meeting with the every day nature flowers and roses. Roses are my favorites but there are several other flowers or blooming I love f ex pink and white peons and pink and white magnolias. Very often when I start painting and have decided that the motif is going to be anything else that roses the painting ends up as a new Rose painting.
For me the painting of Roses started suddenly in the 1990 s finding myself very often visiting flower shops just standing there staring at the Roses and at that time I was not aware of that I would continue painting Roses for several years. After that starting photographing them in nature in the Botanical Gardens and Arboretes trying to capture the energy and the colors for new motives for new paintings to come.
Art Arena sits down to Interview international artist
AASE BIRKHAUG for our upcoming spring 2017 issue
* The creative approach is a very personal methodology, and every artist differs when it comes to their artistic process. How do you approach creation- can you elaborate on your working process? My artistic process and my approach to creation starts when I am out in the nature and in the Botanical Gardens where I get my impressions for new paintings to create. I take photos when I am out in the nature, in the botanical gardens , the rosaries or just when passing gardens which is embedded with flowers Roses or colors that is eye catching. In Norway where I live we have 4 seasons during the year , winter , spring , summer and autumn. The 4 seasons have all of them their inspiration with colors but I feel that spring and summer and early autumn is the most impressive seasons related to the impact the flowers , Roses and nature give me.
This because I mainly paint Roses and I try to catch the colors which impress me every time and every day when I am out walking or running. I take a lot of photos and I think my Iphone has about 15000 photos of Roses pt. Looking at all those photos of roses or flowers – printing them out and using them for visual and colorful inspiration for a new painting to come. I can do a painting strictly after the motive or I can work intuitively and just let the motive be a sort of motivator and inspirator for a new painting to come.
All images are exclusively the property and copyright of the artist Aase Birkhaug