Dolk
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Biography

Dolk Lundgren, or simply Dolk, is a Norwegian stencil artist whose work has rapidly gained popularity since first being introduced to the masses via the Wooster Collective (street works) and Pictures on Walls (commercially available prints). His "official" biography, courtesy of Pictures on Walls, states, "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."

Dolk

At times, it has been speculated that Dolk is pseudonym for famous Bristol-based stencil artist Banksy. It was assumed, due to stylistic similarities, that Dolk was merely 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 Banksy eBay forum.

Along the same lines, Dolk’s work has 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), a touching vignette showcasing a dog humping R2D2, all set on a lovely 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.” The print can be viewed here: [1].

Popular acclaim for his commercially available work lagged far behind his street credentials until the 2006 release of Che (signed, edition of 750, 50x70 cm) and Che XL (signed, edition of 100, 100x70 cm). This two-color image, an “instant classic” as per Pictures on Walls’ description 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,” and an icon of communism worldwide, now appears on hot-selling retail products ranging from t-shirts to mousepads to thong underwear. The standard version of the print can be viewed here: [2], with the limited XL version (identical except for size) viewable here: [3].

Dolk followed up this successful work with the June 2006 release of “Burger King” (edition of 250, signed and numbered, 70x50 cm). 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 King Harald V of Norway adorned with the well-recognized Burger King crown. The original street image can be seen here: [4]. 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.” The print is viewable here: [5].

In addition to having "Che" available, Pictures on Walls 2006 rendition of 'Santa's Ghetto" marked the first known appearance of Dolk's work on canvas. It has been reported that 4 different canvasses were sent by Dolk to 'Santa's Ghetto'. However, only 1 was known to have been put on sale. The canvas "Che" seen below sold for 750 GBP.

Che on canvas from Santa's Ghetto 2006

“Che,” “Che XL,” and “Burger King” have met with widespread acclaim and have greatly enhanced both Dolk’s visibility and his popularity in the commercially available art world. Dolk, and his fans, have also benefited tremendously by very fortuitous timing. His emergence has been accentuated by an unprecedented lack of Banksy screenprint material. This lull, marked by no Banksy artwork being available via Pictures on Walls, has forced many less-affluent Banksy addicts to look elsewhere for their fixes. A large percentage of these stencil junkies have found Dolk to be their methodone.

Dolk Interview

From Schh Blog

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… 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.

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.

Prints

Burger King

Che

Puppy Love

Vintage Street Work

Dolk’s street work, which first brought him international acclaim and still remains much more highly regarded than his commercial prints, is well-represented in Norway (Oslo), Denmark (Copenhagen), and Germany. Some of the most popular pieces are: