Carl Johan De Geer Clues
Retrospective exhibition
Main hall, Färgfabriken
Curators Lina Josefina Lindqvist and Fia Palmgren
The spring and summer of 2014 the main hall at Färgfabriken will be filled with the works of a self-willed artist, who for the past 50 years has moved unconditionally between different genres. Film, photography, textile, painting, litterature, graphics and stage design–a vary of expressions in a consistent investigation of ones surroundings. With perspectives that ranges from kitsch and ”whodunnits” to the swedish landscape painter Prince Eugen, Carl Johan De Geer constantly succeeds to astonish. A manner which for decades unmistakingly has been characterized by sharp details, playful movements, humour and sincere gravity. A penetrating eye and a comforting voice–always in relation to the zeitgeist, regardless of current future prognosis.
The Retrospective exhibition of Carl Johan De Geer–the first of its kind–draws the visitor in to an encounter between job satisfaction and dystopia; a peculiar scene where the clues of the artists conception of the world are merged and constituted as an unity.
During Carl Johan De Geers long artistry, he has devoted himself to a range of artistic expressions: textile, graphics, music, painting, authorship, stage design and film-making.
About the artist
As a participant in the 1968 movement he made himself known to society by evoking commotion. De Geer exposed provocative posters which urged the swedish people to act as conscientious objectors and to desecrate the swedish flag. The Police confiscated the displayed posters–today seen as covetous cult objects.
In the 70’s De Geer participated in the founding of ”10-gruppen” (group of ten) who are known for their colorful patterns and textiles. Handicraft at that time was not just aesthetically interesting, it was seen as a revolt against the narrow minded ideal of the bourgeois, which De Geer was familiar with.
The year of -72 De Geer and his colleague Håkan Alexandersson collaborated in making the eccentric children’s television show ”Tårtan” (the cake). The show received both positive and negative response and is still today seen as historic.
The recent years have brought a documentative insight in Carl Johan De Geers artistry. De Geer tells a self-proclaimed story about past times–humour, sincere gravity, frankness and amusement collaborates–whitout being nostalgic. ”Med kameran som tröst” (with the camera as consolation) part 2 (2004) was elected by Cinemateket as one of four Swedish best films in the twenty-first century.
Related
Färgfabriken made an exhibition at Färgfabriken Norr in Östersund with Carl Johan De Geer and Marianne Lindberg De Geer in 2010. The project was called Inte utan orsak (Not without cause) and was a big installtion with the total amount of both artists studios.
