...It's art that comes from a place that is not from classical training. It is typically a tradition that's been handed down or learned from person to person, by apprenticeship, with no real formal education. And typically folk art, I think, is something that is done on items that are useful... it's of the people for the people...I don't emulate the motifs from the past... I use those elements, the floral, the floral forms, the borders, the layout, the weight, the naive perspective. And I tell modern stories. - Pieper Bloomquist
Scandinavian folk artist Pieper Bloomquist joined the morning show sharing the history of scandinavian folk art, differences between various scandinavian artforms, and her love of watching linen paintings dry in the breeze. Click on the arrow for the full interview!
The big differences are Norwegian rosemaling is fairly decorative with floral forms and scrollwork. And they decorated wood pieces. The Swedish Dalmålning and Bonadsmålning is hand painted wallpaper that was inspired by medieval tapestries...on linen or paper that was affixed to the wall...it decorated their homes beautifully. They hung tapestries and textiles from the rafters and it decorated the inside of the house like a tent. These paintings were not strictly floral, they were storytelling, a lot of them had religious themes, a lot of them had allegory type themes or current events….And what I've captured from this, my personal voice, is the storytelling aspect of this book, art. - Pieper Bloomquist
