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Though I did not realize it at the time, Creole Konst was first inspired by Herbert Gentry (1919-2003) . Gentry, was an American artist that travelled throughout Europe during the Civil Rights Movement and settled in Sweden during the 1960s. I applied to SAIC because I believe Gentry’s story will make great contributions to art historical research in the States and in Sweden. Therefore I knew that he would play a major role in my thesis, but my goal was to find artists that would complement his aesthetic and contribute to my theory. For more information on Herbert Gentry I recommend visiting HerbertGentry.com

During my first semester, I took Simon Anderson’s seminar on Fluxus and was introduced to Öyvind Fahlström  (1928-1976), a Brazilian artist with roots from Sweden. I immediately began to compare his work and life to Gentry’s and discovered that Fahlström also travelled significantly, and like Gentry, felt a kindred connection to the people and cultures that he experienced.  Thus far I had two male artists whose abstract paintings were self-portraits. And though I had enough research between the two I wanted to find one more artist that would provide another dimension to my study. For more information on Öyvind Fahlström I recommend visiting Fahlström.com

At last my eureka moment!! It was during the beginning of my second year and after receiving a tremendous amount of support from the Flaxman Library team, I found Olle Bonniér (b. 1925) a Swedish artist who lived in Mexico during the 1960s. Discovering his work and his appreciation for Mexican architecture and culture, would provide me with three sources to closely examine my case study. In addition, an added bonus was that Bonniér and Gentry were friends and exhibited together in Sweden! For more information on Olle Bonniér I recommend visiting Bukowskis Market

These three artists represent Creole Konst because they connected with various cultures and were able to express their connections through abstract paintings.

puss och kram (xox)

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