Text by Vibeke Harild
"With imaginative and colourful paintings, Lillian Presthus has left her distinct mark on the Norwegian art scene for many years. Her figurative themes and free use of ornamentation evoke thoughts of early tapestry textiles from the 1500s up to the internationally renowned Norwegian textile artist Frida Hansen (1855-1931).
In some of her new paintings, she has allowed patterns and colours to fill the entire canvas, creating an almost abstract expression.
The nature around her studio in Fjøsanger has been a strong source of inspiration, especially when travel has been limited.
Presthus has gained significant international recognition and has participated in important exhibitions in Denmark, Sweden, Berlin, and New York. In fact, she has had more exhibitions abroad than in Norway.
A prominent characteristic of her art is the use of photographic motifs transferred into the painting. This technique, which dates back to Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol (1960s), is photo-based in visual art. The human body as a subject has always fascinated her.
Now, for the first time, she is showcasing photographs of the mature male body—up close and unfiltered, as she experiences it.
The rocking horse, with its Janus face, is one of the paintings in the exhibition, a theme she has been working on since the early 2000s. The Roman god Janus represented time and transitions, as he could see into the past with one face and into the future with another.
This exhibition looks back and forward, and we are excited to share it with you."