MAY BENTE ARONSEN

Soil

7 March - 28 April 2024

The two works in the exhibition are based on the artist's relationship with nature. The experience of being in and sensing nature; sunlight filtering through foliage, soft moss you can lay down in, and water finding its way through the landscape. In consumer society, where money trumps biodiversity conservation, nature lives under harsh conditions. The rapid pace of this happening worries her. The works are built up of tens of thousands of small pieces of felt attached to thin strips. This technique is new in her work and allows her to work with colors as if she were painting with a brush on canvas. She dyes the felt herself, primarily using what Johannes Itten in color theory terms as quality contrast, the clear, saturated colors against the unclear and mixed ones. Aronsen most often works with felt as a material. Textile installations that relate to space and architecture. The material is mostly wool felt, and the works are characterized by precision. Sharp-edged forms and perforated surfaces create structures and surprising spaces. For outdoor projects where textile is not a suitable material, Aronsen works with other techniques and various materials such as metal and wood.

 May Bente Aronsen (b. 1962) studied at the National College of Art and Design (SHKS). She has had numerous exhibitions and public space decorations in Norway and abroad. She received the Craft Award in 2000, the Nordic Textile Award in 2007, and the Prince Eugen Medal for outstanding artistic work in 2010. Aronsen's works have been acquired by all three art and design museums in Norway, most recently by the National Museum in 2023.