The following information is from Gail Fletcher on behalf of the artist.
Education and Influence
Elling Reitan was born in Trondheim, Norway in 1949. He studied with Odd Nerdrum and Bjørn Sverrbo. His mentor is Jens Johannessen, to whom he dedicates his use of the butterfly motif: in many of his works he spreads its wings out from a woman’s body or from a “picture in the picture”. However, the artist has found and developed his own specific style, often influenced by Edvard Munch and religious Middle Age motifs in strong colours.
He made his debut in a juried exhibition in Trondhjem’s Kunstforening in 1979 and has participated in more than 150 separate and group exhibitions in Norway and abroad. Today, Reitan is one of Norway’s better-known, contemporary multi-artists of paintings, watercolours, coal drawings, lithographs, colour etchings (carborundum), serigraphs with mixed media and glassware art. Hardly anything in his works now shows sign of his artistic education and influence, which are seen as darker. He has found a personal style whose hallmark has been described as, “The artist with the beautiful colours”.
Collections:
H. M. Queen Sonja, Riksrevisjonen (General Accounting Office), Høyesterett (Supreme Court)
Hæren Forsyningskommando (Army Supply Corps), Statoil, Post Department, Oslo Lufthavn (Airport)
Bruce Springsteen, Victoria & David Beckham, Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Miscellaneous
There are 2 books published about the artist:
Elling Reitan, Mystisk – Filosofisk – Symbolistisk, 2001 in English and Norwegian
Den Enigmatiske Engel (The Enigmatic Angel) by Ole Lindboe, Danish Art critic, 2005 in English and Norwegian
