Summer Pastimes

RJD Gallery presents new works by Tor-Arne Moen that evoke memories of yesteryear.

- ROCHELLE BELSITO

Norwegian artist Tor-Arne Moen’s artwork is a reminder of the past. In his imagery, it is through recollections of family life and coming-of-age stories. In the creation of the work, it is the use of the classic medium oil-egg tempera. The combination of the two enhances the aesthetic, with the medium lending itself nicely to the old-time flair that the works conjure.

At the heart of Moen’s art is the storytelling, which comes alive on the canvases through casts of characters that are emotional and nostalgic. Yet, these are not the only stories that Moen tells. His lifelong fascination with the narrative has led him to writing, photography and even filmmaking, which all inform his artwork. Then, there is the influence of outside sources as well.

“For me, the practice of photography, painting, literature and film has turned into a way of life. Although I primarily consider myself a painter, the other arts are prerequisites for my painting. I often get inspiration and energy for my motifs from books, as from purely visual studies,” Moen elaborates. “My breakthrough as a painter came in 1994 when I presented a series of 33 paintings related to the Norwegian author and Nobel Prize winner Knut Hamsun’s Collected Works. Through this artwork, I made a connection between the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch and Hamsun by immersing myself in Munch’s picturesque stories and using his visual idiom to interpret Hamsun.”