Kjartan SlettemarkAbout the world through art

Few Norwegian artists have made such a mark on society as Kjartan Slettemark.

The Galleri Star artist for 2011, Kjartan Slettemark (1932–2008), was at the centre of one of the really far-reaching incidents in Norwegian art history. In the summer of 1965, his mixed media painting Av rapport fra Vietnam. Barn overskylles av brennende napalm. Deres hud brennes til svarte sår og de dør (From a report from Vietnam: Children are drenched in burning napalm. Their skin is burned with black sores and they die) was attacked with an axe. The picture was exhibited outside the Storting (the Norwegian Parliament) in Oslo, and was attacked not once, but twice. For the Vestfossen exhibition, a photo reproduction was borrowed from the National Museum.

Kjartan Slettemark died two and half years before the Vestfossen exhibition. His life and career were still fresh in people’s minds, and this extensive show offered a good introduction to the riches of his production.

Participating artists

• Kjartan Slettemark