The aesthetics of provocation truly has spaces where it is protected from damaging harm. Contemporary Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard exhibits passionate spreads of smear, stark, salient patches of color and undeviating text-shape combinations in a manner evocative of urban idioms.
A mingle of forceful paintings and sculptures -phallic black-neon dwarfs- defy normality and convention and pay tribute to vibes at home in the trenches of subculture. The gaze of the self-portrayed man in the first canvases of this virtual tour, the justified arrogance in the scribbled messages and the unsettling verve of the small monsters are all telltale signs of true dynamic expression. The degree of subversion can be debated of course, seeing how the works are encapsulated in rooms of High Art. “The Sadistic Skater” was shown at Lars Bohman Gallery, Stockholm, Jan-Feb 2011.
