Dolk (artist)

Dolk (Dolk Lundgren)

Dolks "Spray"
Born Unknown
1979
Bergen, Norway
Nationality Norwegian
Known for Stencil graffiti
Street art
Movement Social commentary
Website www.dolk.no

Dolk (meaning dagger in Norwegian) (Dolk Lundgren),[1] is the pseudonym for Norway's most recognized graffiti artist.[2] His motives are often pop-cultural references put into a humoristic or critical context. Dolks works can be seen at walls in cities such as Bergen, Berlin, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Oslo, Lisbon, Stockholm, London, Prague and Melbourne. Since 2006 Dolk has stepped into galleries where he has had several exhibitions.[3]

Biography

Career

Dolk - Puppy Love, Bergen, Norway

Dolk was born in Bergen, Norway, in 1979 and started with stencil art in 2003.[4] Dolk has education from mechanic Courses in Bergen, and has studied graphic design in Melbourne. Dolk claims he was inspired by the British street artist Banksy to start with stencil art. Dolk started with stencil art in Bergen in 2003, where several of his works still are visible on the walls in the city. He soon started travelling the world, and in London people have mistaken Dolk's works for being art by Banksy[5] Dolk have made stencil art in cities like Bergen, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Barcelona, Oslo, Lisboa, Stockholm, Praha and Melbourne. After a while Dolk wanted to take his art into more legal forms, and he has since 2006 participated in exhibitions and art festivals all over the world. In 2008 Dolk and Pøbel created the project "Ghetto Spedalsk" in Lofoten, northern Norway. The goal was to move the urban art form into no mans land by painting 20 stencils on abandoned houses.[6] In 2010 Dolk made three work of art for the opening of Halden prison, the art covers the walls in the exercise yard. Daily mail called the prison "the world's poshest prison, with plus £1m Banksy-style art".[7] In 2010 Dolk and Pøbel was paid by the Norwegian state to put their art up at the main railway station in the Norwegian cities Oslo and Trondheim.[8] In 2011 Dolk held his first separate exhibition in Oslo at the OSL Contemporary gallery where he sold out all 9 canvases for £12500 each.[3] In 2011 Dolk was one of several street artist that got to decorate the walls at the Norwegian School of Economics as part of the project "…………CAPITALISM?".[9] Dolk sells his works through the Bergen based website handmadeposters.com, and in 2011 250 copies of the print "Mushroom Girl" was sold out in 40 minutes,[10] and in 2012 he sold the prints "TOY" and "Winner" for over £110000 in less than two minutes.[11] In 2012, Dolkblog.com was established, the unofficial fansite covers news, artwork, information etc. about the artist.[12]

Exhibitions and festivals

  • 2004, "Dolk vs. Strøk", Tilsammans, Bergen, Norway.
  • 2005, "Unge(s) spor", USF Verftet, Bergen, Norway.
  • 2006, "Santa`s Ghetto", 15 Oxford Street, London, England.
  • 2006, "Nuart Festival", Stavanger, Norway.
  • 2007, "Difusor", Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2007, "Nuart Festival", Stavanger, Norway.
  • 2008, "The Cans Festival", London, England.
  • 2008, "Urban Affairs: Streetart and Urban Art Exhibition", Berlin, Germany.
  • 2008, "Nuart Festival", Stavanger, Norway.
  • 2008, "Graffle 2", Bristol, England.
  • 2008, "Saints & Sinners", Soho, England.
  • 2008, "Ghetto Spedalsk", Lofoten, Norway.
  • 2009, "Fame Festival", Grottaglie, Italy.
  • 2010, "BGO1", Bergen, Norway.
  • 2010, "Nuart Festival", Stavanger, Norway.
  • 2010, "Brooklynite Gallery", New York City, United States.
  • 2011, "OSL Contemporary", Oslo, Norway.
  • 2012, "…………CAPITALISM?", Norwegian School of Economics, Bergen, Norway.

Art

Dolk or Banksy?

Early in Dolk's career it was speculated that Dolk was a pseudonym for the well-known British graffiti artist Banksy. The two artists have several stylistic similarities, and especially Banksy's work "Puppy Love" from 2005 have been pointed out as very resembling. Dolk made his own version of this work where both the name and the colors were identical with the original.[5]

Famous works

The work "Che" from 2007 impersonate a cigar-smoking Che Guevara proud pointing on his own t-shirt with the iconic portrait from 1960 taken by Alberto Korda of himself. Dolk's stencil is distinguished by many as the ultimate copy of this portrait, that after Che Guevaras death was pirate copied and created an enormous turnover. The stencil have been sold as the prints "Che" and "Che XL". The well-known street art website "Pictures on Walls" sold Dolk's "Che" as postcards in 2006.

The work "Burger King" from 2006 portrays Prince Charles in a birthday crown in paper from Burger King.

The work "Spray" is a twist on the iconic picture taken by Eddie Adams during the Vietnam War where general Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executes the Vietcong prisoner of war Nguyễn Văn Lém with a head shot. Dolk have changed the head with a flower, and the revolver with a spray bottle. In Bergen city this work was preserve in 2009 by the local government by framing it in protective glass.[13]

The project "Ghetto Spedalsk" in 2008 was a collaboration between Dolk and Pøbel where the goal was to move street art into no mans land. They painted several stencils on 20 abandoned houses in Lofoten, northern Norway. The project got wide international attention.[6]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dolk.

References

  1. ↑ Halstensen, Ruth Hege (21 May 2008). "Vandal artists". Subject street art (in Norwegian). Studvest.no. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  2. ↑ Ødegård, Ann Kristin (24 March 2010). "Norway's street art capital". Newspaper (in Norwegian). Ba.no. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  3. 1 2 Nilsson, Ørjan (18 September 2011). "Why Dolk did not choose Bergen". Newspaper art (in Norwegian). Ba.no. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  4. ↑ Stønjum, Thomas (10 June 2014). "Dolk and Pøbel". Subject: Street Art (in Norwegian). Graffiti.no. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  5. 1 2 Solbakken, Marthe (23 August 2007). "Dolk does it sharp in London". Newspaper (in Norwegian). NRK.no. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  6. 1 2 Johansen, John Inge (21 September 2008). "Urban art in no mans land". Newspaper (in Norwegian). NRK.no. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  7. ↑ "the world's poshest prison (plus £1m Banksy-style art)". Newspaper. Dailymail.co.uk. 12 May 2010. Retrieved 25 March 2012. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  8. ↑ Aamodt, Torill (24 April 2010). "Dolk and Pøbel at the station". Newspaper (in Norwegian). NRK.no. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  9. ↑ Kopren Ullebø, Kjetil (18 September 2011). "Dolk decorates NHH". Newspaper art (in Norwegian). Bt.no. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  10. ↑ Bergesen, Guro H. (21 September 2011). "Dolk sells out fast". Newspaper art (in Norwegian). Bt.no. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  11. ↑ Nilsson, Ørjan (7 March 2012). "Dolk sells for £110000". Newspaper art (in Norwegian). Ba.no. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  12. ↑ "Dolkblog.com". Blogart. Dolkblog.com. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  13. ↑ Kvile, Geir (26 June 2009). "Defends Dolk preservation". Newspaper (in Norwegian). Ba.no. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
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