Bjørn Langeland (b 1943) is educated as a painter at the School of Arts and Crafts and the Norwegian Academy of Fine Arts. During his long career as an active artist, he has worked as a painter, draftsman and photographer. Langeland's drawings are characterized by abstract and energetic compositions, where a spontaneous play with a quick stroke creates a powerful dynamic. The artist is concerned that the image works both from a distance and up close. By studying the drawings carefully up close, you can see well-worked details, and with a distance between you and the work, you see a well-composed, spacious and balanced work. Bjørn Langeland has been a member at Tegnerforbundet for 52 years.
TF: Bjørn, can you tell us a little about your artistic work?
BL: I discovered my talent through drawing, and I have worked as an artist since I became a student at the Norwegian School of Arts and Crafts and a few years later studied at the Academy of Fine Arts more than 60 years ago. At the Academy of Fine Arts I worked with both drawing and painting and attracted the interest of the teachers Åge Storstein and Reidar Aulie. Later I continued to work with drawing, painting and photography; they inspire each other.
TF: Can you tell us about the artist collaboration Krakklakk ? Who were you and how did you work?
BL: We were four artists who rented a small house in a courtyard on Grünerløkka. It was Liv Dessen, Lykke Frydenlund and Milda Graham. We were different as artists and supported each other in what we worked on. We also exhibited together a couple of times, in Sandvika and Skien.
TF: How do you use drawing in your work? Tell us a little about your work process.
BL: The drawings are created in the moment. I draw quickly, so they get energy.
TF: What inspires you? Do you work from a theme?
BL: The beauty of the random inspires me, also wear and tear that bears witness to life lived. Therefore, the urban environment seems inspiring, and I try to identify with what I see. The vitality of the line can influence me to move forward with the drawing.
TF: What are you currently working on?
BL: Now that I no longer have a studio, I work with ink washes. I make doodles on random scraps of paper, and they have been the basis for larger works.
TF: What does drawing mean to you in your work?
BL: It is the basis for everything – also for painting.
TF: Tell us a little about your work in the Tegnerforbundet's sales department!
BL: I am concerned with the air in my works, with the relationship between the line and the white surface. The drawing must have weight and lightness as well as speed. My figurative drawings, which can be sketch drawings or urban environments, are usually made with pencil. In recent years, I have also made non-figurative works in ink. When I work with marker, I am inspired by the way the marker can dry.
See available works by Bjørn Langeland in the online store .
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