Blomsterstaketet 1971

Editor: Here we have Lennart Rodhe's "Blomsterstaketet," painted in 1971 using acrylic. The bright colours and simplified shapes create a cheerful, almost naive feeling. I'm curious, what's your take on this piece? Curator: For me, the core lies in Rodhe's chosen materials and the way he manipulates them. He’s using acrylic paint, a relatively new medium at the time, and applying it in a style reminiscent of both post-impressionism and pop art. Notice the sheer repetition of these fence posts and the deliberate, almost industrial-like application of colour. What does this repetitive, almost manufactured aesthetic evoke for you? Editor: It makes me think about mass production, I guess. The individual strokes disappear into a larger pattern, almost like wallpaper. Curator: Precisely. Think about the context of 1971. Pop Art had already challenged the idea of unique artistic creation, and consumer culture was booming. Rodhe's using a very deliberate application and color scheme, and he appears to be engaging with these new realities by blurring the line between fine art and something that might be churned out on a factory floor. We could ask whether the flowers have an appeal if they only exists in a regular rhythm, too? Editor: That's a great point! It’s not just a pretty picture, but a reflection on how art and beauty are created and consumed. Are we really seeing ‘nature’ or just its industrial reproduction? Curator: Indeed. And looking at the way these materials are used and the social forces that shaped Rodhe's approach makes for a more layered understanding. Editor: I see that now. Thinking about the materials and the production adds a whole new layer to what I initially saw as a simply decorative painting. Curator: It's about uncovering the stories embedded in the artmaking itself and asking questions about who gets to decide what has artistic merit, and how that is sold. Editor: Well, now I will keep this in mind as I learn more about paintings from this time.