Gardar Eide Einarsson

Gardar Eide Einarsson, 34, is part of a new breed of young artists rising up in the New York art scene.  But it was in Norway, that he both first started and caused a stir, propelling him to the prestigious holder of the 'most unpopular young artist in Norway' title.

He collaborated with Matias Faldbakken to create a massive public presentation in Bergen.  Like all of his projects it involved all kinds of media, from sculptures to paintings.  In his own words:

"It was based on this German fairy tale about Schlaraffenland, which I think in English is called Cockaigne. In this fairy-tale land, nobody has to work, and if you do, you're punished for it. Laziness is rewarded, and they have mountains of mashed potatoes, and pigs walk around already barbecued. We did a big public art project that tried to turn this public square in Bergen, the second-largest city in Norway, into the fairy tale. People got mad. They destroyed it. Old ladies were stepping on our sculptures. One 80-year-old told us it was the worst thing she had ever seen, which means that it was worse than World War II, when the Germans occupied Norway."

One day before September 11, 2001, he moved to New York, looking to join the flourishing young artists community there.  He had already shown an aggressive voice, and a strong desire to commentate on culture, and in the wake of the terrorism, he found himself right in the center of it.

"In my first year, it was armed guards on the subways and Humvees downtown. I can see those experiences in my work. I was just cataloging all of the repressive imagery."

SECURITY STRATEGIES

Upon a casual first glance one would be tempted to see just another white guy who's art reflects a graffiti, crime, gang, rebellion, punk/hardcore kind of flavor, but it only takes a few seconds to see a rather different message running through these familiar images.  His work is subtly sarcastic and tongue in cheek.

"I always have this undercurrent that talks about what it means to use that kind of imagery in an art context. I became interested in art through '70s conceptual art and an institutional critique. If that critique weren't there, I think a lot of my work would be stupid... I became increasingly attracted to the more extreme, tragic versions of rebellion."

Many of his pictures use stencils or have a "This is real graffiti!" subtext, and through the addition of extremely artificial drips and ragged edges he really pounds the point home.  His work is not a wanton cry out against authority, but rather a coded message to other rebels.  Being a rebel has become it's own type of conformity.  His work shows the commercial side of rebellion for what it is.

 ALONE AMONG FRIENDS

But those undercurrents aren't the only messages packed into his minimalistic pieces.  He is very critical of 'The Institution' as well.  Not in the an overly antagonistic way, but rather in a cold, and slightly impersonal "this is the way i see it".

 SEX AND REPRESSION IN SAVAGE SOCIETY

ZOG

He likes to use culture against itself.  So he often goes to popular movies, comic books, jornalism, celebrities, and the internet for inspiration.

"I grew up with a lot of American culture. I was interested in stuff like skateboarding and hardcore music...It's usually through this crazy meta-search thing. I start off on one site, and then link from that to the next one to the next one. I get into the really deep, dark corners of the Internet."

IN THE NAME OF THE LAW

He is currently into Tokyo.  In theme, look, feel, it's making it's way into his art and onto his body.  In 2007 he came back from a trip with yen symbol tattooed under his ear with ink made from the ashes of yen.  He said:

"I got my first (Tattoo) when I was 15. It's a little one on my back that's now been incorporated into a much larger one. It's kind of a crappy tattoo, but one should never trust someone who has only good tattoos. It's a really bad sign. You have to have a few bad ones."

His aim seems to be to constantly shake things up.  He wants to catch people off guard and surprise them.  It is this, more then anything else that is pushing him so far right now.

"I wanted to make something that was formwise a little bit boring. I didn't want it to be like, 'Oh, this is a show by a young artist,' or whatever. I wanted a show that could have been done by some 70-year-old dude. I just want to #### with people's expectations."

DIAMOND

 

Overall, Gardar's an inspiring artist i will continue to follow, and although there is a slight tint of bitterness to his work, the over all tone is irony.  He wants to make people think, and shows a surprisingly level head for one in this particular art scene.

Sources:
Interview
The New Kings Of The Art World
Oslo Gallery
About
Exibitations