ABOUT ART.

I believe in craftsmanship. Also in art. Especially in art. My brain controls my hands. But my hands know more than my brain. If I let them work, results arise that the brain would not be able to invent. In that sense, the brain is only the extension of the hand.

I explore the possibilities and limitations of the materials and experiment with new methods. In craftsmanship I find some specific conditions that must be present to arrive at the result I want. I encounter the material’s resistance. It will not behave the way I want it to. I try to force it. It usually doesn’t work. Or I tell myself that the result is good enough. This does not work, either. What then remains is only to know the material better. If I succeed, both the material and I will be transformed into something other than what we were.

My main theme has been nature. The outer nature is my origin – I am born out of it. Thus, I am also a piece of nature. My inner nature makes it possible for me to consider the surrounding nature. A mirroring occurs. In this mirror, I can reflect upon myself and the world in which I live. My tools in these reflections are my artworks. I have used the external nature or landscape in a visual approach, and the inner nature or the self in a psychological/existential approach.

Machine made objects takes up more and more space around us. This also applies in art. At the same time, many are seeking knowledge of materials and craftsmanship. I also strive to let craftsmanship and material to give meaning to my artworks.

Terje Risberg