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Winter Light

At first glance, the surface of the painting is blue-white, abstract. Just a few simple lines of white, laid thick enough that the shape becomes almost sculptural, suggest a motif. The painting is called Vinterlys over markene (Winter light over the fields), and when we ponder the title, a scene appears in the picture. A white blanket of snow covers a quiet landscape. The crisp, white winter sun is probably not present, the light is reflected from a cloudy sky, with tones of blue. Are the heaviest paint strokes a person moving in the marsh, or just a tree?

Kåre Tveter: Vinterlys
Kåre Tveter, Vinterlys, maleri
Photo:
Alf E. Andresen

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Kåre Tveter is known as the "painter of light". Paintings like this one, in shades of white, are typical of him. His winter landscapes are inspired by his repeated visits to Svalbard, and also by his home district in eastern Norway. In Tveter’s oevre the motif, which often plays the lead role in paintings, is reduced in importance, in favor of a focus on the play of light. In this way, he presents the atmosphere of his landscapes in condensed form, without distractions. Tveter’s paintings generally show restrained, simplified forms, soft shadings and minimal use of color. The same features can also be found in his prints, of which we have several at the University of Bergen.

Kåre Tveter (1922-) is a painter and printmaker. Since his first solo exhibition in 1959, his paintings have been exhibited in many countries, and he has held major exhibitions at the American Scandinavian Society of New York, the Grenen Museum in Denmark and the Nordic House in the Faroe Islands. Tveter is represented in most of Norway’s public galleries, and also at the Stockholm Public Collections and the Epcot Center in Florida. A number of his pieces can be found in the Kåre Tveter collection at the Lyshuset Gallery, Skarnes.

NORA SØRENSEN VAAGE