Drift 1996

Curator: Per Inge Bjørlo's linocut, "Drift," features a stark, distorted head rendered in heavy black lines against a pale blue background. It's a powerful image. Editor: My gut reaction? Claustrophobia. Those teardrop shapes feel like they're closing in, pressing down. It's intensely unsettling. Curator: Bjørlo often explored themes of psychological distress. The high contrast and crude carving heighten the sense of unease. It's art meant to be felt, not just observed. Editor: The distortion is fascinating. Is it pain? Is it madness? It's like staring into a mirror that reflects back your deepest fears. Curator: Exactly! Bjørlo uses that distortion to capture internal turmoil, transforming a simple portrait into a landscape of inner conflict. Editor: It's almost brutally honest, stripping away all pretense. Makes you wonder about his own internal world. Curator: Bjørlo asks us to acknowledge the darker sides of the human experience, which is not always comfortable, is it? Editor: No, but maybe that's the point. To sit with the discomfort. Curator: Precisely. "Drift" is a reminder that sometimes, the most profound art is the art that challenges us the most. Editor: I'll be carrying this image with me for a while.