Dolk

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Image from Nuart 2006

Contents

Biography

Dolk Lundgren, or simply Dolk (Norwegian for dagger/knife), is a Norwegian stencil artist whose work has rapidly gained popularity since first being introduced to the masses via Wooster Collective (street works) and Pictures on Walls (POW) (commercially available prints). His "official" biography, courtesy of POW, stated, "The premier stencil artist in Norway and wise beyond his years, Dolk has been voted 'most likely to succeed' by his classmates at vandal school." POW went on to say, "Direct from Bergen, Norway we present Dolk Lundgren. An exciting new artist who lists amongst his hobbies 'sex, sex, and vandalism'." Dolk's profile from Stencil Revolution lists his occupation as "fluffer" and states his interests as "stencils, painting, exploring, sex."

Dolk image originally posted on POW

Dolk or Banksy?

Early in his career, it was speculated that Dolk was a pseudonym for famous Bristol-based stencil artist Banksy. It was assumed, due to some stylistic similarities, that Dolk was an outlet for Banksy’s less challenging, more fun works. This has been refuted several times, most notably by thethugsdontwork, the respected Banksy expert and frequent poster on the old Banksy eBay forum.


Along the same lines, Dolk’s earlier work had been criticized in some quarters for being derivative and overly influenced by Banksy, most notably his 2005 Work "Puppy Love" (edition of 200, numbered and unsigned, 45x32 cm, original retail £39.99). POW's advertising copy read, "It's a picture of a dog shagging a robot like you see everywhere else, but this one's got a pink background." This work bears the both the same name and color scheme as a Banksy original, the only difference being Banksy’s focus on two combat vehicles having doggy-style intercourse. Thethugsdontwork succinctly summed up the general consensus of "Puppy Love" by stating, "Dolk's first print was Banksy-lite."


Banksy "Puppy Love"
Dolk "Puppy Love"

Che

Popular acclaim for his commercially available work lagged behind his street and stencil-community credentials until the 2006 release of "Che" (signed, edition of 750, 50x70 cm, original retail £50.00) and "Che XL" (signed, edition of 100, 100x70 cm, original retail £100.00). This two-color image, an "instant classic" as per Pictures on Walls and "Banksy-heavy" as per thethugsdontwork, features a cigar-smoking Che Guevara proudly pointing to his t-shirt, emblazoned with artist Jim Fitzpatrick's rendering of Alberto Korda’s (in)famous, much pirated 1960 image of... Che Guevara. Dolk's print is considered by many to be the ultimate riff on Che, who has become a capitalist powerhouse in death. Dolk's work highlights the irony that an image of the man French philosopher Jean-Paul Satre once called, "the most complete human being of our age," an icon of communism worldwide, now appears on hot-selling retail products ranging from t-shirts to mousepads to thong underwear.

Albert Korda's 1960 "Guerrillero heroico (Heroic Guerrilla)"
Jim Fitzpatrick's 1968 "Che"
Dolk's 2006 "Che"

Burger King

Dolk followed up this successful work with the June 2006 release of "Burger King" (edition of 250, signed and numbered, 70x50 cm, original retail £50.00). This piece, featuring Prince Charles wearing a Burger King crown against a blue backdrop, is a re-working of a Dolk street piece for the broader English art market. The original work featured Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway adorned with the well-recognized Burger King crown. With regard to Dolk's print, Pictures on Walls' advertising copy read, "Dolk gets it spot on with a charming portrait of the man who will never be king."

Original "Burger King" photo from Streetart
Dolk's 2006 "Burger King"
Original "Burger King" photo from Streetart

"Che," "Che XL," and "Burger King" were met with widespread acclaim and greatly enhanced both Dolk's visibility and his popularity in the commercially-available art world. Dolk, and his fans, also benefited tremendously by very fortuitous timing. His emergence was accentuated by a noted lack of Banksy screenprint material and drastic price increases on what was available. This situation forced many less-affluent Banksy addicts to look elsewhere for their fixes. A large percentage of these stencil junkies found Dolk to be, at the very least, their methadone. Many have found him to be their new drug of choice.


Pictures on Walls Interview

It was announced on POW that a Dolk interview would be posted in July of 2006. It wasn't. That was that.


Nuart Festival 2006

Dolk then took part in the 2006 edition of the Nuart Festival. The festival, which ran from September 6 until September 10, 2006, is described by the official website:

This year's festival saw a blur of pervasive assaults on the town of Stavanger, an invasion of territories between the media. A week of cross town subversion, demonstration and events to accompany the Numusic Festival. An internationally renowned group of artists & pranksters using various systems to create a dynamic playground of exchange. Broadcast across mediums to a festival and web wide audience. Taking place in multiple arenas through several media throughout town of stavanger. Specially commissioned works map and interpret public interactions via installations and exhibits. Somewhere between the web, street, gallery or on your mobile phones nuart promises to involve you with its many layered media driven interactions.

In addition to Dolk, the Nuart Festival featured artists such as D-Face, Pobel, Nood, Toby Sparks, Eelus, Nick Walker, Word to Mother, Mir, and Graffiti Research Lab. It is highly recommended that you check out Numusic's Flickr Slideshow of the event for some stunning streetwork photos.

Dolk at the Nuart Festival being watched by Nick Walker

Santa's Ghetto 2006

In December, Pictures on Walls' 2006 rendition of "Santa's Ghetto" marked the first widely-known appearance of Dolk's work on canvas. It has been reported that four different canvas pieces were sent by Dolk to "Santa's Ghetto." However, only one was known to have been put on sale, the slightly damaged "Che" seen below (notice the damage by Che's left ear). The canvas "Che" sold for 750 GBP. It was unable to be repaired and was instead replaced.

"Che" from Santa's Ghetto
"Che" from Santa's Ghetto. Photo by Patrick John Quinn

Herman Friele

On March 20, 2007, Dolk's humorous take on the mayor of Bergen (Norway), Herman Friele, was featured in an article on iBergen.no. A translation will be posted some time during the next five years, but it is known to say that Mayor Friele enjoyed the stencil and believes that Dolk makes the city more exciting.


Pretty fly for a white guy

- Jeg digger grafitti, og syns det er godt tegnet, sier ordfører Herman Friele om hiphop-utgaven av seg selv.


Av Roy Hilmar Svendsen (iBergen.no):

Flere steder i byen har det dukket opp såkalt streetart, laget med sjablonger, med dels kjente og svært forseggjorte motiver, blant annet av Helge Omen Kaizer fra Kaizers Orchestra. Men et av de som vekker mest oppsikt, er en fremstilling av selveste ordføreren i Bergen, Herman Friele, som er sprayet på innsiden av tunnelveggen under Smørsbroen.

WAZZUP, BERGEN?: Yo wazzup!? Da Coffee King in da block, know what I'm sayin'? -photo by Roy Hilmar Svendsen (iBergen.no)

- Veldig fint!

I kunstverket er kaffekongen fremstilt med lue og hendene i «West Side»-posisjon, og ordførerkjedet erstattet av en skikkelig bling-bling-lenke med svært dollartegn. Verket er signert 28 år gamle «Dolk», som er en kjent skikkelse i byens streetart-miljø.

Ordføreren selv er svært smigret over kunstverket.

- Jeg syns han har vært veldig, veldig flink. Skulle nesten tro han brukte bilder for å få det så likt. Veldig fint, sier Herman Friele til iBergen.no.

- Hvordan er det å se seg selv i full hiphop-positur?

- Artig! Jeg prøver jo å være talsmann for alle subkulturene i Bergen, ikke bare for finkultur som Harmonien og Festspillene. Her kjenner jeg meg absolutt igjen. For eksempel bruker jeg jo lue når det blaser og er kaldt. Det virker som om han har tatt forskjellige ting ved meg, og satt sammen i sitt uttrykk, sier Friele.


Vil lage «noe fantastisk»

I et intervju med nettstedet graffiti.no forklarte «Dolk» litt om hvordan han lager sine forseggjorte bilder

- I gjennomsnitt bruker jeg ti timer på å kutte ut en stencil (sjablong, journ. anm.). Det å designe stencilen tar dobbelt så lang tid som selve skjæringen. På en av mine mest avanserte stenciler brukte jeg en uke, forteller 28-åringen fra Bergen.

Avslutningsvis lover han å lage noe helt fantastisk og grensesprengende før han gir seg i kast med andre uttrykksformer.

- Drivkraften er at jeg vil lage «kunst» som folk vil huske. Stor i kjeften sier du? Husk hvor jeg kommer fra, sier 28-åringen til graffiti.no.

Dolk street work
Mayor Herman Friele
Dolk Street work

DIFUSOR

Difusor was an international stencil meeting that took place in Barcelona, Spain from June 29 to July 1, 2007. Dolk, representing Norway, joined an impressive collection of worldwide street art talent featured at this event (for a full roster of participants, click here). Difusor's bio of Dolk stated that he, "Talks dirty, paints dirty, smells dirty."

An impressive set of photos from this event can be seen as a Flickr Slideshow by clicking here.


Photo from Difusor
Photo from Flickr
Image from Flickr
Photo by Tristan Manco

Nuart Festival 2007

As he did in 2006, Dolk will be taking part in 2007's Nuart Festival, which runs from September 6 to November 4 in Stavanger, Norway.


"Nuart is a dynamic city wide event on both gallery and street walls. From the first week in September an international team of street artists start to leave their mark on the city of Stavanger, Norway.

The resulting work will form a static show at Rogaland kunstmuseum that runs until November 04th. There’ll be Nuart film premiers, workshops, panel debates, artist presentations, concerts and work city wide from the artists listed below plus others participating in various ways.

Visiting Artists include:

AROFISH (UK), BLEK LE RAT (FR), DFACE (UK), NICK WALKER (UK), M-CITY (POLAND), LOGAN HICKS (USA), DOLK (N), SIXTEN (SWE), RENE GAGNON (USA), CHARLES KRAFFT (USA), HERAKUT (DE), EINE (UK), KNGEE (JP), WORDTOMOTHER (UK), PØBEL (N), MIR (N), THE DOTMASTERS (C6), KAROLINA SOBECKA (USA), SLINKACHU (UK) TRISTAN MANCO (UK)"


Nuart presented the following as the description of Dolk:


There was a time when I thought every country would eventually have it's own version of Banksy, it was only after several years of seeing the work of weak copyists that I decided otherwise and realised that Banksy was an artist of pure genius, a true pioneer and one of a kind, there wasn't two Mark Rothko's, two Andy Warhol's, two Caravaggio's.. why would there be two Banksy's. But... there were and are, many incredibly talented artists influenced by those above, who used previous achievements and templates as a starting point to build their own body of work. Movements and schools are not the preserve of a single artist, but a free flowing exchange of creative ideas, techniques and theories that merge at different points to create something new. The same... but different.


Dolk at Nuart 2007, photo by Logan Hicks
Dolk at Nuart 2007, photo by Logan Hicks
Dolk at Nuart 2007, photo by Logan Hicks
Dolk at Nuart 2007, photo by Logan Hicks
Dolk at Nuart 2007, photo by Logan Hicks

The Cans Festival


It was announced that Dolk would be joining a lineup of international street artists including Banksy, Logan Hicks, Blek, 3D, and fellow HMP artists Pobel and M-City, as part of The Cans Festival taking place in London on May 3, 4, 5 of 2008.


Below are Cans Festival pieces that have been attributed to Dolk:


Dolk's "Pope Monroe" (not an official title)
"Gorilla" by Dolk
Dolk cans festival.jpg
Dolk spray.jpg
Dolk Paintbrush Girl at Cans 2.jpg
Dolk Paintbrush Girl at Cans.jpg

Urban Affairs: Streetart and Urban Art Exhibition, Berlin 2008

From Artdaily.org:


The art festival URBAN AFFAIRS is pleased to announce a large-scale exhibition featuring current positions of Contemporary Urban Art and Street Art from July 5th to August 3rd in Berlin- the global epicenter of this international art movement. Forty-two artists from nine countries, all major players in the Urban Art genre, have been invited for a three-day residency at The Friedrichshoehe, a new cultural center in Berlin-Friedrichshain. Located in a postindustrial building, this 900 sq. meter exhibition space is the ideal location for the largest and most comprehensive Urban Art exhibition in Germany to date.

URBAN AFFAIRS introduces a generation of artists who confront the challenge of working in public spaces to develop new forms of artistic approach. As the name suggests, “Street Art,” with its striking and recognizable motifs, is found in the metropolises of today's urban society- adopting, reviving and influencing multiple aspects of collective urban life. Applied Street Art techniques such as graffiti writing, stencil, painting, readymade, collage, drawing and graphic design will be transferred to the exhibition rooms. All artworks will be specifically created for the exhibition, which will culminate in an opening on Saturday afternoon with numerous live events and performances that invite the visitor to interact with the exhibition and the artists themselves. Selected works will also be later integrated in the art store of the exhibition.

Whether screens, murals, sculptures or installations, Street Art has a fascinating wealth of forms that reveal a wide array of positions, all rooted in the concept of Urban Art and influenced by avant-garde movements such as Fluxus, Pop Art and Conceptual Art. URBAN AFFAIRS will reflect actual developments in the movement and uncover new artistic intersections along with the participating artists.

Urban Art and Street Art are experiencing increasing global attention from significant collections, publications and institutions in the established art market, as well as an academic reappraisal of the genre within the art historical context. Works by selected street artists continue to break auction records and the fact that URBAN AFFAIRS participants El Tono and Nano 4818 are currently exhibiting at the Tate Modern Museum in London symbolizes the staggering development and widespread notoriety of this anarchic art movement.

The exhibition is organized by Riot-Arts - Agency for Urban Contemporary Art - and Stockartist, a hybrid art project that develops new approaches in today’s contemporary art market. The project is in partnership with the Culture Circle Gallery, the ATM Gallery, the Kolektiv Berlin and the Gallery Zero and supported by The issue of ArtFacts, Montana, Mitte’s Backpacker, the Polish Institute and the Foundation for German-Polish Cooperation.


Artists:

ALIAS (DE) / ANTON UNAI (DE) / BONK! (DE) / BEN THE (FR) / BIMER (DE) / CZARNOBYL (DE) / CRAPO (FR) / DANIEL TAGNO (DE) / DOLK (NO) / EINSAMKEIT (ES) / EL BOCHO (DE) / EL LOLO (ES) / EL TONO (ES) / EMESS (DE) / FUNK25 (DE) / GEORGIOS (GR) / IXI COLOR (PL) / IX PLANET (DE) / JAST! (DE) / JABO AKA MONK (DE) / JUST (DE) / KINDERMASSIVE (HU) / M-CITY (PL) / MASSMIX (PL) / MOKI (DE) / MORTE (FR) / MYMONSTERS (ES) / NANO 4814 (ES) / NEON (DE) / NOAZ (ES) / NOMAD (DE) / NURIA (ES) / OBELISK (CA) / OVNI (ES) / ROBERT STUMPF (DE) / SWANSKI (PL) / TOM 14 (BR) / WOW THE DEAD (DE) / XOOOOX (DE)


From Urban Affairs Berlin 08:


DOLK

The artist Dolk, originally from Norway, started to paint in 2003. After his first experiments, also done in the actual rooms of Urban Affairs, he is working since 2005 in many European Cities like Lissabon, barcelona and Berlin. The charcteristic style of Dolk makes it easy to discover his works again in the streets, often the artist likes to work with sexual motives and a deep humor, telling a whole story in one stencil.


Below are photos of Dolk's work at Urban Affairs as shared on Flickr:


Dolk's 'Superman'(not an official title)
Dolk Sex Dolls.jpg
Dolk's 'Gorilla' on wood(not an official title)
Dolk's 'Praying Boy' on metal(not an official title)
Dolk on reclaimed door.jpg
Dolk outside.jpg
Dolk mushroom.jpg

It was reported on the Banksy forum that three pieces of Dolk's work were for sale at Urban Affairs. 'Praying Boy' on metal, shown above, was reported to be approximately 120x70cm and retailed for 6000 euros. The Dolk piece on reclaimed door, also shown above, was about 170x50cm and 12,000 euros. 'Gorilla' on plywood sheet, around 200x150cm, was 15,000 euros.


Nuart 2008

For the third year in a row, Dolk joined an internationally-acclaimed group of stencil masters in Stavanger, Norway to take part in "a celebration of contemporary urban art and street culture."

Participants

BLEK LE RAT (FR), DFACE (UK), NICK WALKER (UK), DOTMASTERS (UK), WORD TO MOTHER (UK), KNOW HOPE (ISR), GRAFFITI RESEARCH LAB (USA), HERAKUT (DE), DOLK (NO), PØBEL (NO), CHRIS STAIN (NO), ZEUS (UK), EINE (UK), STEN & LEX (IT), JIMMY CAUTY (UK).


All photos of Dolk's work from Nuart 2008 were shared on Flickr by Romanywg.

"Zorro" by Dolk and Anus. Photo by Romanywg.
Photo by Romanywg.
Photo by Romanywg.
Photo by Romanywg.
Photo by Romanywg.
Photo by Romanywg.

Graffle 2

From Graffle:


Graffle is a charity raffle of urban/street/graffiti art with ALL the money raised being donated to three children’s charities.

We have an amazing list of highly sought after artists (see artists link), and each has donated an original piece of artwork, which you can win with a ticket costing just £10!


CHARITIES

All the money raised will be donated to three charities that signifying the life cycle of a child:

NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) (Bristol) Expert medical care to vulnerable premature and sick newborn babies.

Fairbridge West (Bristol) Helping young people living with poverty, crime, drugs and hardship.

Richard House Children's Hospice (London) Looks after children with life-limiting conditions during their journey through life to death, creating positive experiences along the way.


SHOWS

There is some truly amazing artwork that really should be seen in the flesh so we’ve organised two shows:

18th – 20th July at The Village Underground, London

10th – 12th Sept at Paint Works, Bristol


THE DRAW

The draw will take place live at Paint Works, Bristol on 12th September.


Dolk is one of the artists who have donated an original piece of artwork to be raffled off.


Stencil on canvas, 100x70cm

Ghetto Spedalsk

from NRK. Foto: John Inge Johansen

From HMP:

DOLK and PØBEL's ongoing project to the far north of Norway. Painting on deserted houses against the wild and extreme nature of Lofoten. Deemed by many as one of the worlds most interesting streetart projects! With them they also had Italian film creator DAVIDE FASOLO. The film titled "Living Decay" is scheduled to release in December.


The trailer for the film "Living Decay" can be found here. A timelapse film of the making of the very first piece, circa 2006, is avilable here.


from NRK:


To gatekunstnere, fem hus, utallige liter med maling. Det er mye som må til for å flytte storbyfenomener ut på landsbygda.

John Inge Johansen john.inge.johansen@nrk.no


Har du gått i gata i Oslo, Bergen, Lisboa eller Berlin for den del, kan det hende at du har støtt på noen utrolig detaljerte kunstverk på offentlige vegger. Ved siden av grafitti og ren tagging er street art en undergrunnsbevegelse.

Supermann på dialyse - selv en superhelt blir gammel i Pøbels strek. Foto: John Inge Johansen/NRK

Nå har to av landets mest anerkjente og erfarne kunstnere i denne sjangeren gått løs på vegger i Lofoten.


Dolk og Pøbel

De signerer i utgangspunktet ingen av bildene i Lofoten. De skal få stå for seg selv og tale for seg selv, sier ”Dolk” som opprinnelig kommer fra Bergen.


- Det er alltid så mange ansikter og navn som står i veien for opplevelsen av det du ser, sier han til NRK Nordland. Vi ønsker at folk skal kunne tenke og reflektere selv uten at de nødvendigvis vet HVEM som har laget det de ser.


Zooicide kaller Dolk dette bildet - det eneste i serien med en tittel. Alle de andre bildene kan publikum selv bestemme over... Foto: John Inge Johansen/NRK

Dolk er en signatur i street art-miljøet som har oppnådd internasjonal anerkjennelse. Nylig ble noen av hans håndlagde trykk solgt for nesten to hundre tusen kroner i løpet av noen få dager. Han har turnert på flere festivaler og hatt en utstilling sammen med en annen signatur som er godt kjent i østlandsområdet :”Strøk” – men i Lofoten er det ”Pøbel” som er involvert i det store prosjektet.


Ghetto Spedalsk

Målet til de to er å flytte det urbane kunstutrykket ut i ingemannsland. På fraflytta hus maler de opp motiver som dekker hele veggen. Samtidig har ett og annet hus fått besøk på innsiden… Stort sett spør de om lov til å gjennomføre dekoren – og de er overrasket over hvor raskt lofotingene har tatt i mot det nye uttrykket..

- Vi spør de som eier husene, og noen har sett det vi har gjort i lokalavisen eller langs veien, dermed blir vi invitert til å overnatte og jobbe uforstyrret i timesvis, og det er en ganske annen virkelighet enn det vi opplever i byene, sier Pøbel til NRK.

Søvngjengeren har tidligere vært brukt som utsmykning på et treningssenter i Bergen - i Lofoten går mannen rett ut i havet. Foto: John Inge Johansen

Prosjektet har fått navnet ”Ghetto Spedalsk”

- Nå er målet vårt at vi skal male de vel tjue husene vi har fått tillatelse på i løpet av neste sommer, da henter vi opp kanskje ti internasjonale kunstnere, maler i hemmelighet på hus som ligger virkelig ensomt til, og har en street art-festival som folk kan oppdage etter at vi er ferdige, forteller Dolk.


Folkejakt

Konsekvensen av prosjektet så langt er at folk i nærområdet i Lofoten har begynt å se på husene på en ny måte. Enkelte har satt seg fore å fotodokumentere alt som er gjort av disse to i Lofoten, og siden det ikke ligger noen kart med komplett oversikt, blir det jungeltelegraf og internett som er hjelpemidlene.

Nordland var med begge kunstnerne på en guidet visning – noe som er svært uvanlig siden ingen av dem noensinne har gitt et intervju til tv-selskaper. Faren for å bli gjenkjent og risikere at politiet vet hvem de er, gjør at de stiller opp anonymt. Bildene fra turen kan du ser her på våre nettsider.


Stolt kultursjef

For Vestvågøy kommune er det en gigant-gave som er blitt gitt av kunstnerne. Uten å røpe hvor hvert enkelt verk befinner seg, avslører vi her at ”Søvngjengeren” befinner seg på en naustvegg ved Borgvåg. Sjablongen som er brukt til dette motivet, er den samme som eierne betalte nesten 100.000 kroner for å få på veggen til et treningssenter i Bergen. Det er umulig å fastslå verdien av prosjektet som nå er delvis ferdigstilt, og for kultursjef Camilla Skadeberg er ikke den økonomiske verdien det vesentlige:

- De setter fokus på hus og på eiendommer som gjør at folk kanskje betrakter dem på en annen måte, sier hun. Fra å være et øde og forfallent hus blir det nå et kunstverks om setter i gang prosesser på en helt ny måte, sier Skadeberg.

En gutt som maler et hjerte - dette var det første bildet som Dolk og Pøbel satte opp i full skala i Lofoten. Foto: Oona Thorgersen

Siste:

Herved kan vi presentere nok et veggmaleri, av den eller de som signerer sine etterhvert så berømte veggmalerier med "Pøbel".

Pobel Ghetto 4.jpg

Bildet er malt ikke langt fra den vidgjetne Hauklandstranda. Kanskje det er dit han har tenkt seg med sitt surfebrett, den tradisjonsriktige kledde fiskeren?


From Aftenposten.no:


Møtte veggen i Lofoten


To av Norges fremste street art-kunstnere dro i sommer til Lofoten. Se bilder og hør fotografen fortelle om kunstprosjektet.HAN KALLER SEG Dolk, er Norges mest fremtredende street art-artist, og liker å jobbe i stort format.

– Det er gøy og utfordrende å male et helt hus med ett motiv – spesielt i de vakre omgivelsene i Lofoten. Der oppe får vi sinnssykt bra bilder av arbeidet vårt med Lofotnaturen og fjellene i bakgrunnen. Det blir mer surrealistisk enn et bilde på en grå byvegg. Street art i naturen – wild style, skriver anonyme Dolk i en e-post til A-magasinet.

– En lam mann som går i søvne, en døende supermann og en jente som plukker en dødelig sopp. Disse bildene får tankene til å rulle, håper han.

Og skriver videre:

– Jenten (og bekrefter dermed at han er bergenser) – Jenten med fluesoppen synes vi passet bra siden huset var skikkelig eventyraktig og hadde en del blomster i forgrunnen. Bildet samspiller med naturen rundt på en bra måte.

Dolk har sammen med vennen Pøbel malt bilder på en rekke forlatte hus i Lofoten, med eiernes tillatelse. Batman i rullestol med en aldrende Robin som assistent. En fisker med islender, oljebukse, sydvest – og surfebrett. En mann som sitter på huk og sprayer et rødt hjerte på et gult hus. Kanskje et selvportrett?

I mange byer i Europa kan du finne Dolk og Pøbels bilder, malt ulovlig rett på veggen. De kan få store erstatningskrav mot seg hvis deres identitet blir kjent.

Noe av fascinasjonen ligger nettopp i at kunstnerne er anonyme. Samtidig er kunsten deres på vei inn i anerkjente gallerier, ofte til gode priser.

Prosjektet fortsetter til neste år. Da med ti inviterte internasjonale street art-artister. 30 mulige hus er allerede plukket ut.

– Definitivt det mest interessante street art-prosjektet i verden i 2009, mener Dolk.


Saints & Sinners

From Art Republic:


Artrepublic Soho is very proud to announce an exclusive off-site exhibition entitled ‘Saints and Sinners’ at St Martins Lane hotel, London, open daily to the public between 11th and 21st November (from 2pm to 10pm).

We have selected over thirty pieces from a wealth of artistic talent found all around the world & transformed the ‘front room’ of London’s original boutique hotel into a unique urban space.

Over twenty up-and-coming artists and well-known names, have all contributed original works of art with most of what’s on offer being specially commissioned pieces. Just one of the many highlights at this extraordinary event includes a never-seen-before canvas by the highly acclaimed Nick Walker.

Artists that are on show include Adam 5100, AME72, Asbestos, Blek Le Rat, Brokencrow, C215, Charming Baker, D*Face, Dolk, Eine, Johan Andersson, Lidia De Pedro, Logan Hicks, Mau Mau, MissBugs, Mr Brainwash, Nick Georgiou, Nick Walker, Peter Kennard & Cat Picton-Phillipps, Pinky, Pure Evil, Static, Sten & Lex and Zachary Walsh.

The show is open for general viewing from Tuesday 11th November and will run every day until Friday 21st November 2008 (between 2pm and 10pm) with direct access through St Martins Lane hotel reception.

Visit the Saints & Sinners exhibition at:

St Martins Lane hotel 45 St. Martins Lane London England WC2N 4HX


Viewing Times: 2pm – 10pm Daily

Contact Details: E: stmartins@artrepublic.com T: 07532099924


Dolk's "Paintbrush Girl" canvas edition was shown at Saints & Sinners. This canvas work, an edition of 6, spraypaint and acrylic on 100cm x 70cm(39" x 27") linen canvas, retailed for 4000GBP.

Dolk's "Paintbrush Girl" canvas edition



Fame Festival 2009


Fame Festival Pirate.jpg


From Fame Fetival:


FAME (eng) the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed, favorable public reputation (ita = fama successo)

FAME (ita) bisogno molesto di mangiare, carestia, grande miseria, grande desiderio (eng = starvation, hunger)


Second edition for Studiocromie’s summer festival ! new artists, new artwork, same concept, that’s why we called it “festival”, this way we can use the same text every year, especially considering that things wont change from an year to another, the process takes time, i guess…

In order to avoid rhetorical somersaults of the case, Studiocromie is pleased to announce FAME festival for what it is: the meeting of a dozen international artists in a small italian centre, Grottaglie.

The city is famous for its ancient ceramics tradition and there’s a whole area exclusively dealing with ceramics production.

FAME wants to be a new point of view on the original structure of this quarter and the city. While politicians and institutions only care about their personal interests, we’d like to give back to the town and its original asset the light they deserves.

The name of the event, FAME, refers to the ironic difference of meaning of the word itself between Italian and English. If in Italian FAME means hunger, in English is FAME, understood as honour and success status, things that Italy can only have exactly a great hunger.

The idea is to host the artists for variable length of time (from 1 to 4 weeks) and to offer them the cooperation of the local artisans for the production of pottery works and limited edition prints.

Furthermore the artists will have at their disposal several walls to paint around the city, in order to upgrade a few areas which are aesthetically depressed.

At the end of their stay, everything created, including new original artworks, screenprints and ceramic pieces made with the collaboration of local artisians will be showcased in a final group show. it will take place in one of the most ancient ceramics workshop of the area, the opening is set to be on the 19th of September.

More importantly, it has to be said, the festival is entirely financed and curated by Studiocromie without any kind of sponsorship from external sources.



Two unique originals and a stencilled edition were released via Studio Cromie as part of the Fame Festival.


"Mushroom Girl" unique original stencil on found wood panel, 60x40cm, retailed for 5300€
"Sex Doll" unique original stencil on found wood panel, 60x40cm, retailed for 5300€
"The Ape" original stencil on fedrigoni black black paper. 25 copies were made for fame festival 09. 70x70cm, retailed for 550€

Handmadeposters.com


Handmadeposters.com is the eagerly-anticipated new home of prints and canvas works by Dolk, Sixten, and Pobel. For months, stencil junkies worldwide hit F5 hoping that the image above would change.


Dolk on Handmadeposters.com
Sixten on Handmadeposters.com
Pobel on Handmadeposters.com
M-City on Handmadeposters.com

On April 25, 2007, Handmadeposters.com finally opened for business. The initial offerings featured two canvas pieces by Dolk, "Grenade Lovers" and "Police Line" (also known as both "Marathon" and "Crime Scene"). Each canvas was a limited edition of 15 pieces, acrylic and spraypaint on 70cm x 100cm linen canvas, and retailed for £1500. In addition, two new Dolk prints were offered, "I Am Your Father" and "Officer Down." "I Am Your Father" was a limited edition, one color, hand-pulled silkscreen that was both signed and numbered (500 copies, 70cm by 50cm, 250gsm art paper). "Officer Down" was a limited edition, two color, hand-pulled silkscreen in an edition of 500 signed and numbered copies (70cm by 50cm, 250gsm art paper). Both prints retailed for £70. Rounding out the new material were prints and canvas pieces by Sixten and Pobel, including Sixten's well-known "Jesus Shaves" and Pobel's "Hard Work."


On April 26, 2007, the following message was posted on HMP:


Thats all for now folks!

It seems that the people at PayPal thought it was going a bit too well for us.

Today we received notice that there was abnormal activity going on in our account. I guess it was too many payments coming in. -So they decided to close the account.

For those of you who have purchased our prints and originals - dont worry! they are in the mail!

For the rest of you, I guess you will have to wait a bit while we put up a better payment solution from someone who are a bit more serious about their business.

There are more prints available, but it will say "out of stock" until a payment solution is arranged.

We are truly sorry about this.


On May 31, 2007, HMP proudly announced that their new payment system was up-and-running and that prints and canvas pieces were once again available for purchase from the website.

May 31 hmp.jpg

Girl With Teddy

On July 25, 2007, HMP announced their next print release, the much anticipated "Girl with Teddy" by Dolk. The work will be released in an edition of 200 hand pulled prints, in three colors on Somerset 250gsm paper, numbered and signed by DOLK. It will be made available some time during August.

Hmp gwt announcement.jpg

Girl with Teddy print announcement.jpg

On August 22, 2007, HMP released "Girl with Teddy" as a three colour handpulled screenprint, printed on 250 gram Somerset Satin Paper, edition of 200, signed, numbered and stamped by DOLK. HMP stated that, "The little girl handcuffed to her teddy bear sold out on canvas before we even got hmp launched. Now the print is finally ready." The entire run sold out in a few hours despite the release being announced around 2:30 AM EST, while many American Dolk fans were sound asleep. When queried about the release time, Morten from HMP promptly replied, "Truly sorry ...We depend a bit on our computer wizards during the release, and had to release during their work hours. I’ll try to put the advantage in your favor the next time."


Zooicide

Zooicide announcement.jpg

On November 11, 2007, HMP announced the details of the future release of "Zooicide" as an edition of 250 prints, in two colors on 50x70cm Bakeri Everest, 250gsm (heavy) paper, signed, numbered and embossed by DOLK.


Zooicide For Sale.jpg

On December 4, 2007, HMP announced that "Zooicide" would be going on sale later in the day. The edition of 250 prints was sold with a 1 per customer limit. HMP's payment solution had difficulty dealing with heavy traffic, resulting in some frustration with the initial ordering process.

Dolk signing "Zoocide" as posted on HMP

The sold-out "Zooicide" edition was shipped on December 10, 2007.


Prisoner

PRISONER announcement.jpg

On January 8, 2008, HMP announced that "Prisoner" was available as a limited edition of 250 signed, numbered, and embossed prints. This screenprint sold out on March 18, 2008.


M-City

M-city announcement.jpg

On March 18, 2008 (and via email on March 19), Morten Landmark announced that M-City would soon join Dolk and company as part of the HMP stable.

Mcitybombad.jpg

On March 27, 2008, M-City's "Bomb" was released in a limited edition of 150 copies. It retailed for 90GBP.


Last Mona

Dolk "Last Mona"

On May 8, 2008, Morten Landmark of HMP announced that "Last Mona" by Dolk would be the next print release.


On May 13, 2008, Morten Landmark of HMP announced that Dolk's "Last Mona" was available as a limited edition of 250 signed, numbered, and embossed prints (67x67 cm, 4-color screenprint on Conqueror Conoisseur Soft White 300gsm paper). This screenprint sold out on the same day of issue.

Last mona page.jpg

Monsters Prefer Blonds

Pobel "Monsters Prefer Blonds" announcement

On June 5, 2008, Morten Landmark of HMP announced that "Monsters Prefer Blonds" by Pobel would be released some time during the week of June 8, 2008. "Monsters Prefer Blonds" will be a three color, 70x50cm screenprint in an edition of 100 copies and will be signed/numbered by Pobel. Retail price was 100GBP.


Dolk "Last Mona" Canvas Edition

Dolk's "Last Mona" canvas edition


On June 19, 2008, Morten Landmark of HMP announced that "Last Mona" canvas edition was available for sale. The "Last Mona" canvas was limited to a total edition of only 6 pieces. This work was done in acrylic and spraypaint on 34"(90cm) square linen canvas. The initial retail price was 3500 GBP + shipping/taxes. The entire run was sold out within 3 days.


M-City Canvas Release

M-City's "Plane" canvas edition
M-City's "Zeppelin" canvas edition

On July 10, 2008, Morten Landmark of HMP announced that two new M-City canvas works were now available. "Plane" and "Zeppelin" were both 100x70cm, spraypaint on linen canvas, editions of 1. Retail price was 1000GBP each plus taxes, customs, and shipping expenses.


Dolk Paintbrush Girl

Dolk "Paintbrush Girl" print

On October 28, 2008, Morten Landmark of HMP announced the release of Dolk's "Paintbrush Girl" print. He added, "The Paintbrush Girl from Cans Festical is finally here as a print. It is made in an edition of 250 prints, measuring 50x70cm and printed on top quality Conqueror Conoisseur Soft White 300gsm paper. The print is printed in six colors plus varnish, and all are signed and numbered by Dolk." The print sold out in about a week.


M-City X

On November 12, 2008, Morten Landmark of HMP announced the released of M-City's newest print "X".


M-City "X" print


"X" was released as a limited edition(150 copies), signed and numbered screenprint, 50x70cm, on Conqueror Conoisseur Soft White 300gsm paper. It retailed for 90GBP.


Dolk Circus

Dolk "Circus" print

On November 26, 2008, Morten Landmark of HMP announced the upcoming release of Dolk's "Circus" print. "Circus" will be released in an edition of 250 signed and numbered copies. As per HPM, it is 65x65cm, printed on top quality Conqueror Connoisseur Soft 300gsm paper, and is, "another classic Dolk print."

On December 1, 2008, Morten Landmark of [HMP announced that "Circus" was now on-sale. It retailed for 150GBP and sold out within two days.


Nicholas Di Genova

On December 5, 2008, Morten Landmark of HPM announced that Nicholas Di Genova was the newest member of the HPM stable of artists.


From HMP:

Drawing on the influence of street art, anime, comic books, and animal compendiums, the work of Nicholas Di Genova features an encyclopedic range of constructed creatures ranging from soft and nurturing to calculating and military. A vast and intense fabricated history acts as a backdrop to the hundreds of interconnected species, families and rival clans that find themselves projecting their habits, relations and environments.

Di Genovas paintings on mylar highlight his skill with line and his ability to manipulate colour. Always intense and intricately executed, Di Genovas work rivals the quality of any fine art painter while firmly establishing itself on the fringes of contemporary art.

His first print "Upright Shepard Waddler" will be released to handmadeposters next week!

Nicholas Di Genova "Upright Shepard Waddler"

On December 11, 2008, "Upright Shepard Waddler" went on sale at HMP. It is a six color, 50x70cm screenprint on Conqueror Connoisseur Soft White 300gsm paper and is limited to an edition size of 100 signed/numbered copies.


Upright Shepard Waddler Ad.jpg

Dolk "Paintbrush Girl" Canvas

On January 13, 2009, Morten Landmark of HMP announced that the canvas edition of "Paintbrush Girl" was now available via the website.


Paintbrush Girl Ad Canvas.jpg


"Paintbrush Girl", an edition of 6, 70x100cm, spray paint and acrylic on linen canvas, retailed for 4000GBP from HMP.


Dolk "Grenade Lovers" Print

On March 3, 2009, Morten Landmark of HMP announced that the print edition of "Grenade Lovers" would be released during the week of March 8, 2009. Morten Landmark stated that "Grenande Lovers" is a 50x70cm print signed and numbered in an edition of 150 pieces printed on Conqueror Connoisseur Soft White 300gsm paper.

Dolk's "Grenade Lovers" print


One March 10, 2009, "Grenade Lovers" became available for sale priced at 200 GBP.


Dolk "Shrink" & "Police Line" Prints

On August 14, 2009, Morten Landmark of HMP announced that the print editions of both "Shrink" and "Police Line" would be 'coming soon'. Morten Landmark stated that "Shrink" is a 90x50cm print signed and numbered in an edition of 100 pieces to be priced at 250GBP. It was revealed that "Police Line" would be a 50x70cm print, signed and numbered, edition of 150 pieces, priced at 200GBP.

Dolk's "Shrink" print
Dolk's "Police Line" print


On August 20, 2009, Morten Landmark of HMP announced that the print editions of both "Shrink" and "Police Line" were now available. Despite both prints meeting with some derision from the street art forums, "Shrink" sold out quickly.

Dolk "Shrink"
Dolk "Police Line" print

Dolk "Priest"

On December 4, 2009, Morten Landmark of HMP announced that the print edition of "Priest" would be 'coming soon'. Morten Landmark stated that "Priest" would be a 65x65cm print signed and numbered in an edition of 150 pieces priced at 250GBP.

Dolk's "Priest" print

On December 12, 2009, Morten Landmark of HMP announced that "Priest" was available for purchase. "Priest" was met with some resistance from the street art community, as criticisms included the relatively high price and that many believed the street version of "Priest", with halo, was superior.

Priest Now Available.jpg
Priest HMP.jpg

Handmadeposters.com Archive

Dolk's "Grenade Lovers" canvas
Dolk's "Police Line" canvas
Dolk's "I Am Your Father" print
Dolk's "Officer Down" print
Dolk's "Girl with Teddy" print
Dolk's "Zooicide" print
Dolk's "Prisoner" print
Dolk "Last Mona"
Sixten's "Jesus Shaves" canvas
Sixten's "Jesus Shaves" print
Pobel's "Hard Work" canvas
Pobel's "Hard Work" print
M-City "Bomb"
Pobel's "Monsters Prefer Blonds"
Dolk's "Last Mona" canvas edition
M-City's "Plane" canvas one-off
M-City's "Zeppelin" canvas one-off
Dolk's "Paintbrush Girl" print
Dolk's "Paintbrush Girl" canvas edition
Dolk "Circus" print
Dolk's "Grenade Lovers" print
Dolk "Shrink" print
Dolk's "Police Line" print
Dolk "Priest" print

Recent Work

This space will be continuously updated as new works are discovered. Please note, names are not official and are used just for ease of reference.


Picture from Flickr
Dolk "Last Mona"
"Last Mona" at Hove
Dolk "Monkey Prayer" from Flickr
Dolk "Praying Child" from Flickr

svennevenn from Flickr reported that Dolk was commissioned to execute "Sleepwalking from Wheelchair".

from Flickr
from Flickr

Flickr Slideshows

Images of Dolk's street work are plentiful on Flickr. The following are links to slideshows of some of Dolk's most popular works. No credit is taken for these photos as all were sourced from generous users on Flickr who have shared them with the public. Massive thanks and utmost respect to those who have shared these amazing images. Please note, many of these names are not "official" and are just being used in order to avoid saying "this cool one by Dolk" or "that awesome one by Dolk." Also, on June 25, 2007, the slideshows were all fixed and updated.

Please click the link under the photo to be taken to the Flickr slideshow.

]

The Eskigirl Collection

Eskigirl on Flickr has provided the most oustanding collection of Dolk streetwork images available. All respect and thanks to Eskigirl sharing these images on Flickr.

Presented below are just a few highlights from this amazing collection of images. To view the entire collection, click here or follow this link for a Flickr Slideshow of the Eskigirl Collection.

Dolk 10.jpg
Dolk 6.jpg
Dolk 28.jpg
Dolk 12.jpg
Dolk 13.jpg
Dolk 16.jpg
Dolk 24.jpg
Dolk 26.jpg
Dolk 29.jpg
Dolk 39.jpg

Canvas Work

Two members of The Dolk Lungren Fan Forum, AgentBacardi (a moderator) and Silky (the administrator), shared images of their Dolk Canvas pieces. "Girl with Teddy" was a limited-edition of 15 pieces that was originally intended to debut on Handmadeposters.com. It sold out before the website opened. "Grenade Lovers" and "Police Line" (aka "Marathon" aka "Crime Scene") debuted on HMP on April 25, 2007. The canvas version of "Burger King (Original Norway Edition)" was featured at the 2005 Dolk vs. Strok exhibit. The canvas version of "Last Mona" was released on HMP on June 19, 2008.


AgentBacardi's "Zooicide" by Dolk
"Che" from Santa's Ghetto. Photo by Patrick John Quinn
Silky's "Che" by Dolk
"Girl with Teddy" on canvas
Dolk's "Police Line" canvas
Dolk's "Grenade Lovers" canvas
"Officer Down" sold at auction
"Love Hurts" sold at auction
"Burger King(Original Norway Edition)" sold at Dolk vs. Strok exhibit
Dolk's "Last Mona" canvas edition
"Che" 1/1 Canvas, signed and dated 2008
"Paintbrush Girl" Canvas edition



Prints

The following prints were retailed by POW:

"Burger King"
"Che"
"Puppy Love"

The following prints were retailed by HMP:

"I Am Your Father"
"Officer Down"
"Girl with Teddy"
"Zooicide"
"Prisoner"
Dolk "Mona Lisa"
Dolk "Paintbrush Girl"
Dolk "Circus"
Dolk "Grenade Lovers"
Dolk "Shrink" print
Dolk's "Police Line" print

Postcard

Pictures on Walls began issuing "Che" postcards sometime in the fall of 2006. The postcards, along with postcards of Nick Walker's "Mona Simpson," were included free of charge with orders.

Che postcard.jpg

Stencil Revolution

Prior to becoming known to a larger public via his POW-series of prints, Dolk was a member of the Stencil Revolution website. The contents of his members gallery can be seen below, featuring rare images of early Dolk work as he honed his skills. To view as a slideshow, click here.

"Absolut Collage"
"Absolut Melbourne"
"B-2000"
"Puppy Love"
"Handle With Fear"
"Streetfather"
"Papparazzi" & "Handle With Fear" boards
"Killing em softly-VK2"
"Portrait2"
"Love Hurts"
"Officer Down!"
"Portrait1" closeup
"WW3 first tracks"
"Antiporn"
"R2D2 Rape"
"Portrait3"
"Waitler"
"Shake Before Use"
"Can u see the light?"
"Xploding plastix"

Vinyl Killers

Several Dolk pieces, also under the name DL, were exhibited at Vinyl Killers. From Craptastica:


What: A international show of stencil art on old records by over 100 artists from across the world.

Why: Last summer I started painting on old records and posting the pics on Stencil Revolution. People really liked them and other SR heads starting doing their own versions on vinyl. In only a couple of months the shit just took off and suddenly there was stenciled vinyl popping up all over the globe. Vinyl is a great medium to work on for numerous reasons. Records are readily available for free or very cheap, the paint looks great on the smooth surface, they are easy to store and ship, and they just look really cool hanging on your wall. The Vinyl Killers are in fact vinyl saviors who are rescuing records that in many cases are viewed as junk that is destined for the landfill.

Inspired by all the cool Australian shows that I saw on SR and fresh from the Stencil Archive show in SF I decided that I wanted to make something similarly cool in happen in Portland. The incredible stencil work, community spirit, and amazing progress that everyone was experiencing as a result of our connecting via SR convinced me that Vinyl Killers was the perfect vehicle to bring everyone together and showcase stenciling as an art form.

I talked it over with Paul at Zeitgeist, started contacting artists inviting them to participate, and six weeks later Vinyl Killers 1 was born. Vinyl Killers 1 was held last November at Zeitgeist Art Gallery in Portland, Oregon . The show had over 150 painted records from 63 artists from 12 countries, opened to over-capacity crowds, and was a near sellout. Almost everyone involved from the gallery to the artists and patrons agreed that it was an incredible show and something worthy of becoming an ongoing event.

"Killing em softly-VK2"
Absolut stencil and street father.jpg
Another vinyl killers dolk.jpg
Ripper 1331, a member of the Banksy Forum shared this image.

Early Street Works

A couple of early Dolk street images as seen on Flickr. These are close-ups of the work "Absolut Collage" shown on Dolk's Stencil Revolution page.


No no no.jpg
Dol at-at attack.jpg
Vintage dolk.jpg

Dolk vs. Strok

Dolk vs. Strok was a gallery show held at Tillsammans in Bergen, Norway around March of 2005. As per Strok, "We didnt sell, but got nominated for some award in the "best exhibition" category." Photos taken from Strok's Flickr.

Works by Dolk and Strok
Works by Strok
Strok and Dolk
Strok skateboards
Dolk skateboards

The following is an interview with Dolk and Strok taken from Studvest. A translation will be posted eventually.



Martin Scanche, Burt Reynolds, eller portrett av kunstneren som ung mann? Få vet hvem de hemmelighetsfull grafittiartisene Strøk og Dolk egentlig er. FOTO: © STUDENTAVISA STUDVEST - WWW.STUDVEST.NO

Vandalkunstnere


Kunstgallerier er ikke noe for en stencilkunstner. Da er det ulovlige byrommet et mer utfordrende lokale.


Tekst: RUTH HEGE HALSTENSEN


-Nei, dette funker ikke. Jeg er døden nær i dag, sier Dolk, og ser frynsete bort på sin sidejente Strøk. De to stencilkunstnerne har for tiden sin første utstilling på Tilsammans. Det ble en hard kveld på byen i går. Psudonymene er nødvendige, ettersom deres kunstform er ulovlig.

Stencil er engelsk for sjablong. Metoden stammer fra klassisk trykkteknikker som linoleumstrykk og fra undergrunnskunsten grafitti. Man skjærer ut former, og lager avtrykk ved bruk av spraybokser. Strøk forklarer:

-Valg av materialer varierer. Man bruker alt fra papir, papp og plast. Bare fantasien begrenser. Motivet skjæres ut i fra en lagmodell en velger til motivet sitt. En sjablong kan inneholde så mange lag en selv ønsker. Mine kan ligge mellom alt fra to til sju.

-Ett av mine mest tidskrevende verk tok over en uke å lage og inneholdt ti lag, sier Dolk.

SI OPP DAGJOBBEN

Sjablongeventyret begynte da Dolk studerte i Melbourne, og kom i kontakt med et aktivt stencilmiljø. Via deres nettside stencilrevolution.com, traff han Strøk, som holdt til på andre siden av jordkloden. Strøk hadde lenge vært fascinert av gatekunst, men ting løsnet for alvor da hun leste et intervju med artisten Sixten på den etablerte nettsiden. De to artistene ble kjent gjennom å diskutere ulike verk via nettet. Da Dolk ett år senere valgte kunsten fremfor studiene, flyttet de begge til Bergen, som med ett hadde fått to nye kunstnere.

-Man kan ikke skryte på seg store miljøet i Bergen, selv om det har begynt å røre litt på seg i det siste. Den norske sida grafitti.no er også med på å skaffe konstruktive kommentarer fra stencilkretser. Det er på disse sidene man treffer likesinnede fra hele kloden, sier Dolk.

BØRRETZEN SOM INSPIRASJON

Tilnærming til sjablongen er som all annen kunst. Individuell. Mens Strøk går rett til skjæringen, gjør Dolk grundig forarbeid foran dataen.

– Gjennom å kødde med kjente ting, får man reaksjoner fra flertallet av folk som er ute å går. Det er da det er moro. R2D2 fra Star Wars er et gjenkjennelig popikon, sier han og peker på bildet sitt på veggen som viser en hund som utfører en kjærlighetsakt på den folkekjære roboten.

Strøk er også opptatt av ikoner, men bruker dem som uttrykk for individuell tilhørighet. Hun avbilder en kultur og et miljø hun selv tiltrekkes av. En referanseramme som inneholder alt fra Odd Børretzen, Jack Nicholson, Run DMC og bestefar.

– Børretzen er Norges første rapper, smiler hun.

– Bildene mine er kanskje litt sånn som popart var. De speiler et miljø. Jeg har gjort oppdrag for klubber og andre lokaler med sjablongene mine, sier Strøk.

Hun er i ferd med å avvikle kommersielle prosjekter for å kunne vie seg til sin egen utvikling. Det er lett å bli sellout når man maler for penger.

– Jeg slutter mens leken er god, og får vel heller finne meg en rik elsker for å kunne opprettholde det store forbruket av spraybokser, fniser hun.

EN VANDALKUNSTNERS BACKPACKERTURNÈ

Regntiden Bergen har bydd på vinteren 2005 har ikke vært det ideelle været for streetartistene. Nå ser de frem til lysere tider. Dolk har pakket sekken med papirkniv og laptop, og er klar for en europaturnè.

– Planen er å markere seg i alle de europeiske landene, sier han.

– Å ha en utstilling har egentlig vært litt kjedelig. Det er jo ikke akkurat et kunstpublikum vi er ute etter. Vi liker bedre å være en del av byrommet, sier Strøk.

Det er som oftest offentlige bygninger, strømbokser og underganger som blir offer for streetkunsten. Verken Strøk eller Dolk liker å pryde private eiendommer som ikke har bedt om det. Men teknikken gjør selve utførelsen noe enklere.

– I forhold til grafitti, trenger man kortere tid på å lære seg stencilenes grunnprinsipper. Man bruker mindre tid og har mindre risiko under utførelsen. Selv om bøtene er de samme, føler vi at stenciler er mer populære. Vi henvender oss til et bredt publikum, i motsetning til grafitti som er en mer subkultur. Grafittimalere maler mest for seg selv og andre malere. Vi maler også for oss selv, men også for vanlige folk. Vi tilbyr skjønnhet der man ikke forventer det, sier Strøk.


Dolk and Strok

The following is what appears to be an excellent interview with Dolk and Strok from Graffiti.no. Unfortunately, I can't read a lick of it. Fortunately, there will be a translation coming soon.

Utmost respect for this excellent street art website. Definitely visit their mailorder page for all your supply needs.


Streetart top.jpg

By: Thomas Stonjum 10.06.04


Navn: Strøk/Slobben Alder: 23 Hjemsted: Arendal Bosted nå: Trondheim
Navn: Dolk Alder: 26 Hjemsted: Bergen Bosted nå: Melbourne


Hadde du noe særlig graffiti bakgrunn før du begynte med streetart?

STRØK: Jeg har aldri drevet med graffiti selv, ei heller kjent noen som har drevet med det seriøst. Allikevel har jeg syntes det har vært tøft, og oppsøkt steder folk har malt, samt sett bilder i for eksempel Kingsize og på graffiti.no. Da jeg kom til Trondheim, var de jeg la merke til for det meste gutter fra PSK og PLC.

Jeg er mektig imponert over hva folk som for eksempel Coderock klarer å få til med en sprayboks. Jeg er dårlig på å lese hva som står når de tegner alle de snåle bokstavene sine, men jeg kjenner igjen form og stil og husker godt ting jeg har lagt merke til. På 2xH i år var jeg så heldig å bli med noen writere å dekorere en vegg, og dette var første gang jeg så noen gjøre graffiti live. Det frister til gjentakelse, og jeg er definitivt åpen for å samarbeide mer med graffiti-folk i fremtiden.

DOLK: 0Jeg har heller ingen graff bakgrunn. Begynte med streetart for ett år siden. Fersking i gamet. Har ikke peiling på graffiti egentlig...faen ikke slå..AU!


"Officer Down" by Dolk
"Boble" by Strok

Ser du på streetart som en del av graffiti kulturen, eller er det noe helt for seg selv? Og får du ofte høre at det ikke er graffiti?

STRØK: Ettersom jeg kjenner få writere, treffer jeg sjelden på folk med bastante meninger om hva som er graffiti eller ikke. Graffiti og streetart ser jeg på som to separate ting med mye til felles.

Den største fordelen med streetart ligger jo i muligheten til reproduksjon av identiske bilder, og at man kan male ting hjemme, for så å henge dem opp på et passende sted. Allikevel skulle jeg gjerne hatt nok skills til å kunne lage noe nytt helt på sparket, uten å være avhengig av forarbeid med papp og kniv. Det skal mye mer trening til for å komme opp på akseptabelt nivå som writer, i forhold til hvor mye øving man trenger før man kan lage en helt ok 2-lags stencil.

DOLK: Streetart er en gren av graffitti. Det vokser stadig ut nye grener og metodene forandrer seg hele tiden. Her i Melbourne er streetart crewet veldig flinke til å føle seg frem. Veldig mange stencil artister har gått over til paste ups (gate tapesering) fordi politiet har fått opp øynene for stenciler. Om du blir tatt med en sticker eller paste up er det ikke noen big deal. Purken sier bare at du må ta ned greiene... men med en gang de hører en sprayflaske er det en annen sak. Det jeg har fått høre så langt er at folk generellt liker stenciler bedre enn graf. Grunnen er at vanlige folk forstår denne kunst formen. Graffitti er mer underground og vanskeligere å tolke (for vanlige folk...) Det er det jeg liker med stenciler. De når en stor målgruppe som skjønner hva du prøver å formidle. Jeg har sett barn og gamle folk le av stencilene mine. Det er er vedt hvert eneste kutt.

"Bushinator" by Dolk
Stickers by Strok

Heter det egentlig "stensil" eller "sjablong" på norsk? Er ikke en stensil noe man kopierer opp på kopimaskin?

DOLK: HAHA! Tror det går greit å kalle det for både stencil og sjablong. Sjablong høres ut som den fargerike fetteren til sjakk. Stencil derimot hmm... høres desverre ikke særlig fett ut det heller.

STRØK: Jeg bruker begge ordene om hverandre. Stencil er et engelsk ord for sjablong, og har lite med stensil å gjøre. Dette på tross av at kopimaskinen er enhver streetartists beste venn.

"Mette Marit" by Dolk
"Silkesvarten" by Strok

Du varierer ofte motivene dine. Er det et bevisst valg? Hvorfor har du ikke et ikon eller signatur som går igjen hver eneste gang?

STRØK: Skulle jeg laget samme greia hele tiden hadde jeg blitt lei, og det er jo sikkert kjipt for andre også å bare se meg gjøre samme greia om og om igjen. Når det gjelder mangel på signatur, kommer det av at jeg ikke har særlig behov for å profilere meg selv som person. Bedre å la bildene tale for seg. Målet mitt er å sette opp ting folk kan se og like. Om jeg setter opp noe annet, og folk tror det er malt av en annen person, så er det meg revnende likegyldig.

"Kamera" by Dolk
"Ballerina" by Dolk


Hvor ligger drivkraften/motivasjonen i det du gjør?

STRØK: Jeg har hatt endel fritid, og jeg liker ikke å råtne foran TV. Det er leit å si det, men kjedsomhet var vel kanskje den største drivkraften dette siste halvåret. Nå i det siste har jeg fått litt mer tak på det, og da ligger motivasjonen mer i å bli lagt merke til.

DOLK: Drivkraften er at jeg vil lage "kunst" som folk vil huske. Jeg har stor tro på at jeg gjør det rette. Motivasjonen er å bli jævlig god. Knuse Banksy!

Vinyl by Strok
"Håkon Magnus" by Dolk

Ser du på deg selv som en del av hiphop miljøet?

STRØK: Jeg hører mye på hiphop, men ser ikke på meg selv som del av noe miljø egentlig. Jeg henger med folk selv om de ikke liker tagging eller har sans for hiphop.

DOLK: Nei, men jeg liker hiphop.

"Plane" by Dolk
"Fatback" by Strok


Er det noe innenfor streetart som har gjort spesielt intrykk på deg?

DOLK: Banksy er min store helt, Evol og Pisa fra Tyskland sine greier er sinnsykt fett også liker jeg Sync, som er en lokal streetartist. Uten stencilrevolution.com hadde jeg aldri holdt på med stenciler tror jeg. Veldig motiverende å få tilbakemeldinger og tips. Props til Prism og Melbourne crewet som driver nettsiden.

STRØK: Hadde det ikke vært for Prism, Sixten og resten av gutta som driver stencilrevolution.com, hadde nok ikke jeg heller drevet med stenciler. Jeg har fått så mye inspirasjon og konstruktive tilbakemeldinger fra det nettstedet at det er vanskelig å forestille seg hvordan greiene mine hadde sett ut uten. Man legger alltid merke til kjente profiler som Banksy og Shepard Fairey. De gjør fremdeles stort inntrykk hver gang de kommer med noe nytt. Jeg likte også veldig godt East Erics idé med å male den tanksen rosa. Ellers gjør all streetart jeg oppdager på gata inntrykk på meg, enten det er "Ost" i Tromsø eller "Decline" i Trondheim. Av de norske streetartistene jeg vet om, er Dolk absolutt i særklasse, og jeg ser frem til å male med ham neste gang han kommer til Norge.

"Asshykler" by Dolk
"Fevik" by Strok

Sjablongene dine er ofte sinnsykt detaljerte. Hvor lang tid pleier du å bruke på hver?

DOLK: Det kommer an på størrelsen og hvor masse detaljer det er, men stort sett går det en stund. La oss si at jeg i gjennomsnitt bruker 10 timer på å kutte ut en stencil. Ofte er det å designe stencilen som tar tid... stort sett dobbel så lang tid som selve skjæringen. På en av mine mest avanserte stenciler brukte jeg en uke. Jeg pleier å skjære ut sjablongene mine på 300 grams papir og da varer de ca. 20-30 ganger.

STRØK: Jeg kan bruke alt fra en halvtime til åtte timer på å lage sjablonger til ett bilde. Bruker jeg papp eller plast så varer den nesten evig, men siden mange av sjablongene mine er små, går det mest i tykt papir. Det pleier å passe ganske bra; Når sjablongen blir krøllete eller henger sammen av maling, er jeg som oftest så lei av den at den ender i søpla. Jeg kaster ofte sjablonger før jeg bruker dem opp.

"That's Fine" by Dolk
"Green Door" by Strok


Hvilke etiske holdninger har du i forhold til det med å sette opp streetart på områder uten å ha tillatelse til det?

STRØK: Jeg synes det er ganske kjipt ovenfor de som eier stedet dersom det blir påklistret ting de ikke liker. Derfor holder jeg meg stort sett unna hus og slikt. Unntaket er kommunale og statlige bygninger og anlegg. De permanente tingene jeg setter opp ender derfor ofte på kommunal eiendom. Ellers liker jeg idéen med at dersom folk liker noe jeg lager, kan de ta det med hjem. Jeg er langt mindre restriktiv med å putte opp ting som lett kan fjernes, og tenker som så at dersom noen ikke skulle like det, er det heller ikke langt til nærmeste søppeldunk.

"Hardcore" by Strok

Hva syntes du om å bruke streetart til systematisk desinformasjon?

STRØK: Man bør ta alt man leser på gata med en klype salt, enten det er streetart eller betalt reklameplass. Jeg liker greiene til svenske Akay, der han tar over reklameplassen i buss-skur med reklamelignende plakater. I det hele tatt liker jeg all streetart som etterligner eller modifiserer på eksisterende reklame. Jeg er ikke så inne i dette med desinformasjon selv, ettersom jeg bruker bilder fremfor tekst. Det er sjelden noen spesiell mening bak tingene jeg gjør annet enn at jeg liker bildet.

DOLK: Jeg synes det er greit. Streetart er streetart. Jeg sprayer ikke akkurat opp fakta på veggene, så jeg får vel si at jeg har vært med på det.


Har du noen framtidsdrøm, som du har lyst til å kunne oppnå?

DOLK: Jepp. Jeg vil reise rundt og ha utstillinger. Jeg vil leve av dette. Holder på å starte klesmerke også. Hadde vært gøy om det slo an. Ellers så vil jeg bli eksperimentell grafisk designer som tror han er kul.

"Pappa" by Dolk

Når du ikke skjærer ut sjablonger, hva driver du med på fritiden da?

STRØK: Før spillte jeg basketball. Nå da jeg flytter til Trondheim håper jeg å kunne ta opp igjen den hobbyen. Ellers går det vel mest i piker, vin og sang.

DOLK: Jeg pleier å tenke ut nye idéer, ser film, går på utstillinger og drikker gratis øl.


Hvilken tittel tiltaler deg mest; kunstner eller vandal?

STRØK: Jeg finner det vanskelig i kategorisere det jeg gjør. Jeg har aldri brukt noen av de ordene om meg selv.

DOLK: Kunstner.

Sticker by Strok


Har dere gått på kunst skole?

DOLK: Nei, men ikke langt ifra. Studerer communication design (grafisk design) her i Melbourne. Gikk forresten på maskin og mekk back in the days haha!

STRØK: Ja, da jeg var liten drev vi på med stilleben og linoleumstrykk. Frihåndstegning har aldri vært noe for meg, så jeg sluttet før det ble altfor åpenbart at jeg ikke kunne tegne. Hva prøver du å uttrykke med det du gjør?

DOLK: Humor, skjønnhet hvor du minst venter det og drømmestemning.


Hvor er favoritt stedet ditt å plassere det du lager?

DOLK: I nabolaget. Det er en stor og fin vegg ett minutt unna meg. Aldri sett politi i nærheten av den veggen.

STRØK: Mange av de større tingene jeg lager er tilpasset slik at de gjør seg inntil en vegg eller et hjørne. Lager man varierte ansikter som ser opp, ned eller til siden, blir de lette å plassere slik at det ser ut som om de er laget speielt for plassen. Har man en stor vegg, trenger man en stor greie. Ellers bør man nøye seg med steder med stor traffikk og der tingene blir hengende lenge. Lyktestolper, søppeldunker, baksiden av skilt og strømbokser er det mange av i Trondheim sentrum.

"9-11" by Dolk

Når på dagen/natten liker du best å sette opp tingene dine?

STRØK: Jeg liker lørdags formiddager. Det sjarmerende med streetart er den lave risikoen for bøter om man blir tatt. Det koster sjelden penger å fjerne det jeg setter opp.

DOLK: Midt på dagen om jeg er med andre. Alene gjør jeg det om kvelden. Burde kansje vært omvendt.

Hva er i dine øyne en god street artist?

DOLK: En som tar sjanser for å få mest publikum. Lifesize stenciler på høy traffikerte områder. Slobben gjør en bra jobb i Norge! Han er den eneste jeg har sett med stort potensiale innen stenciler. Liker at han gir streetart gaver til byen! Han har en sunn holdning til sin egen kunst.

STRØK: Jeg liker en som er mye oppe og som blir lagt merke til. En man kan se nye arbeider av og umiddelbart gjenkjenne stilen til. Det er også viktig å være original, å finne sin egen nisjé.

"Telehor" by Strok
"R2D2 Rape" by Dolk

Hvor går din egen utvikling?

STRØK: Jeg forbedrer meg hele tiden, men det kommer vel før eller siden til et punkt der fremgangen min stagnerer. Ambisjonene mine er å gjøre ting som blir lagt merke til i den byen jeg bor i, og at folk som driver med det jeg gjør skal se på meg som en likeverdig, og en som er verdt å nevne i streetart sammenheng.

DOLK: Jeg vil reise rundt i verden og lage stenciler. Ha utstillinger. Tjene noen kroner på det jeg elsker mest å drive på med. Jeg har begynt å tegne mine egne figurer som jeg deretter skjærer ut. Håper å utvikle tegnestilen min mer.

"Kindergarten" by Strok

Er det noe du vil si til folket?

STRØK: Jeg anbefaler flere til å begynne med streetart, det er ikke så vanskelig som det kanskje ser ut som.

DOLK: jeg kommer til å satse 100% på stenciler i ett år til. Innen den tid skal jeg ha laget noe fantastisk og grensesprengende. Stor i kjeften sier du? Husk hvor jeg kommer fra. Bergen!



Dolk Interview

From Schhh Blog:

Love crash stencil.jpg

Where are you from?

Im Born in Oslo, Norway, but I have my base in the west coast, Bergen.

When did you start making stencils?

I started 3 years ago i think.

And why stencils? Do you work mainly with stencils or are you doing also another kind of street art?

I like to use stencils because its a fast way to get my stuff up in the streets. I like the raw and dirty look of it. I mainly use black and white in my work, I think it works best and its faster than using a lot of colours. My stuff is all about the idea.

I do other things as well, i make stickers, paste ups and graffiti. I will also do some street installations in the future.

Do you paint alone or with more people?

I do whatever i have to, but i prefer to have 1 or 2 lookouts when i work. It makes it less risky with lookouts and it gives you more time to focus on what you are doing. Its also more fun to share the experience of hitting a hot spot with good friends…

Control everything stencil.jpg

You have a style: few colors, mainly black and white, big stuff. But do you think you have a caracteristhic type of message in your stencils?

As i mentioned before i mainly use B/W. I Have a message in all my work and i use alot of time trying to improve my ideas all the time. The idea is often based on my own life and the surroundings in my life. I use humor, love, hate, dreams, whatever…

Did you always do the same kind of stencils (big black and white humoristic stuff)?

I did some advanced multilayer stencils about 1,5 years ago, but i stopped, because i want to hit the streets. Multilayer stuff takes ages to put up and it does not have the same power as a simple black and white stencil. You dont need colors to make the wall scream.

Will you keep doing this kind of stuff in your near future projects? What future projects are you working on at the moment?

I will keep doing what i do- travel and paint, meeting people and get new contacts. I meet alot of talent and passion when i travel and its healthy for my own development in the streets. I learn new trix from city to city. I do not have any special projects at the moment, but i will try to make it to london in october… Also going to Lisbon to paint in september.

Puppy Love stencil.jpg

What techniques/materials do you use for your stencils?

I use cardboard, 1-3 mm.

What kind of spots do you like to paint?

I prefer do paint semi hotspots. Good spots, but not too good… hmmm… I dunno. I wanna do some sick stuff, but im not ready yet. Im just gonna go with my own flow and paint more and more. Its all about the feeling. The more you paint the better spots you eventually paint.

A spot you want to paint: the ultimate spot to paint.

I painted on the berlin wall the other day… that was a goal i had… But now i want more. Its nothing called the ultimate spot. If you paint your “ultimate” spot and get away with it, you will definently find a more ultimate spot the next day- or even on your way home after painting the ultimate spot. Ultimate- yeah I like the word…

A spot you already painted.

Hmmm….A spot in berlin i guess… Underground station Warschauerstrasse. Friedrichain. I painted there last year and it lasted for 7 months. 2 days ago i hit it again. Alot of traffic and people there all the time. Great fun to walk away seeing my che smile at me.

Have you ever had problems with the authorities?

No. I hope it stays that way.


Dolk Lundgren's Best of 2005

This interview originally appeared on the amazing Wooster Collective. All respect and admiration for their work.


Dolk Lundgren's Best Of 2005


Favorite Event of 2005:

Backjumps and JR`s photo exhibition, both in Berlin.

Favorite Artist of 2005:

Camille Rose Garcia

Favorite New Artist of 2005 (an artist who you did not know of last year):

Pøbel, Norwegian Stencil dude. "Hard work" is my favorite piece.

Pobel2005.jpg

Favorite Piece of Art of 2005:

Banksy

Pieceofart-banksy.jpg

Favorite New Product or Trend of 2005:

Shampoo.

Favorite Toy of 2005:

Im not really into toys and dont know much about this subject, but Flying fortress have some cool shit.

Favorite CD or Song of 2005:

Skyphone, Fabula. extremly chilled electronica for late nights.

Favorite Website of 2005:

wooster man!

What do you most want for Christmas?

Less fear when painting high risk spots.

How will you be spending the Holiday's this year? / What will you be doing for New Years Eve?

Launch rockets with my ass.

What are you most looking forward to in 2006?

To finish my website and to meet new artists from all over the world. I also look forward to make more hand paintings and graf.



External Links

Shepard Fairey forum/wiki This site. Come join us in the forum or check out the wealth of Shepard Fairey information in the wiki.
The Dolk Lungren Fan Forum Excellent place to stop by and discuss Dolk's work.
Handmadeposters The home of artworks from Dolk, Sixten, and Pobel.
Handmadeposters on Myspace
DOLK on Flickr - The source for most photos used here. All credit and respect to those who have shared these amazing images.
Pictures on Walls home of prints by Dolk, Banksy, Faile, Antony Micallef, Eelus and many, many more.
Stencil Revolution website
Vinyl Killers
The Banksy Fan Forum Sister-site to the Dolk Fan Forum.
The ebay Banksy Discussion Group
Wall Candy The new site for the ebay Banksy crew.
Wooster Collective The gold standard. An outstanding website.
The non-English Streetart
Graffiti.no Excellent street art site. Non-English.
M-City website Official website of HPM's newest artist.

© Copyright

This page contains an image or images of drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, or other two-dimensional works of art, for which the copyright is presumably owned by either the artist who produced the image, the person who commissioned the work, or the heirs thereof. It is believed that the use of low-resolution images of works of art for critical commentary on the work in question, the artistic genre or technique of the work of art, or the school to which the artist belongs on the English-language website thegiant.org, hosted on servers in the United States, qualifies as fair use under United States copyright law.


--Mose