‘Svein Koningen‘ International abstract expressionist
Svein at work
For Svein Koningen, abstract inspiration comes from both external influences and of course the internal abstract thinking of a studio artist. He states he never plans an exact work allowing the paint and the internal unconscious to come through. Change is a must for this artist.
Born in post war Norway (1946) Svein Koningen and his mother joined his Dutch father in Amsterdam before the family moved to Geelong Australia in 1953. Koningen pursued an Art and Industrial Design Degree but left shortly before graduation. His independent personality going against the confining restrictions of the time Koningen left to get on with life. He promptly began work as a graphic artist. Not suited to a boring office job he took up a management position with the family business in Curacao in the Caribbean. So sets the scene of change and diversity being a constant for Koningen.
The magic happens for the art viewer when they can feel the energy of a painting. That is the secret of good abstraction. When you can feel the art, the paint, the movement or the expression of the artist.
Colour combinations and texture
Koningen explores emotion on canvas, the relationship between colour combinations and texture. He works intuitively, i.e. Bella Galloway The Cow, not planning ahead rather going with flow of paint with large palette knives & brushes on canvas creating from the subconscious. Creating bold exciting abstract art canvases bursting with vibrant colour, the viewer is drawn to touch the art to feel the ridging textures. Paring and scraping back paint revealing glimpses and stories within the larger abstract story. The paintings tell of various experiences of the artist for the viewer. Not confined to particular styles his work can vary from a semi abstract expressionist Monet’s Summer Garden to water colours and nudes then a very large pure abstract.
Abstraction is his passion being born out of his art studies in the 1960’s.
Latest Series of paintings.
Black White Ink on paper – over 20 works in this series ranging in size from medium to small.
Colour Series watercolour on Paper. Gallery paintings on paper
New Series Black White ink on paper
Colour Series Watercolour paintings.
Cow Series – Black & White
How the Cow in the paddock became a painting series. This lonely cow with its’ belt of black white around the middle, the lines in the background of the winter trees, the stream and then the skyline in the background. Svein captured the image in his subconscious hitting the studio a week later his subconscious began painting the first of a series – Bella Galloway – the Cow. He doesn’t even think about the inspiration – fortunately Dianne can read his art and understands the process of the visual experience that then becomes a paintings. For Svein inspiration comes in the dramatic landscape rather than a green valley or ocean view
A Simple Love Affair
To own a Koningen has been likened to being in a love affair that keeps you spellbound as the painting keeps revealing hidden secrets from within.” quote from Belgian Collector.
The beauty of abstract art is for the viewer to interpret the artist’s work finding stories of images hidden within the canvas.