I would like to thank everyone who came out Saturday for the lecture on “Kitsch, the Nerdrum School and the Future of Figurative Painting”. It was wonderful to see so many painters who were interested in Kitsch, Nerdrum’s philosophy and his school. It was also wonderful to have my fellow Kitsch painter Luke Hillestad give his insight and experiences as well.
The lecture covered a variety of topics from defining kitsch, to Aristotle the great thinker who has had a huge influence on kitsch philosophy to the variety of motifs and Greek archetypes that we have experienced as humans since the beginning of time. Universal Kitsch archetypes like Birth, Love, Death, Solitude, Joy, Nature, Nostalgia Mother and Child, have defined us as humans, painters and storytellers.
We also discussed the ancient Greek idea of mimesis. Mimesis was an idea that governed the creation and action of painting and sculpture, in particular with correspondence to the physical world and understanding it as a model for beauty, truth, and the good. This is the model that The Nerdrum School has embraced in a variety of ways.
I have included some pictures from the lecture and a few of the slides as well. I would like to thank my dear friend Jim Robinson for making this lecture possible at his wonderful Academy and Wet Paint for sponsoring this special event.
I owe a depth of gratitude to my friend Odd Nerdrum the master and mentor who is the lighthouse for figurative storytellers. He weathered the storm and has made painting great again. His torch of inspiration has ignited another generation of painters to seek what is everlasting and relevant in their work. #kitsch #lukehillestad #oddnerdrum
