Dolk
From The Giant: The Definitive Obey Giant Site
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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 (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."
At times, it has been speculated that Dolk is a 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."
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.
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. 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."
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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.
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In December, 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 four different canvasses 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. The canvas "Che" sold for 750 GBP. Two members of The Dolk Lungren Fan Forum, AgentBacardi and Silky (the administrator), recently shared images of their newly-acquired Dolk Canvas pieces.
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"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 and drastic price increases on what is available. This lull 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, at the very least, their methadone. Many have found him to be their new drug of choice.
Dolk Interview
From Schhh 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.
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:
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.
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Favorite Piece of Art of 2005:
Banksy
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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.
Prints
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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.
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Street Work
Dolk’s street work, which first brought him international acclaim and still remains more highly regarded than his commercial prints, is well-represented in Norway (Oslo), Denmark (Copenhagen), and Germany. Some of the most popular pieces are:
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File:Dolk girl with teddy.jpg "Girl With Teddy" |
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File:9-11 dolk.jpg "9-11" |
Thanks to The Dolk Lungren Fan Forum, there are many new Dolk street works to be seen.
| File:Bouquet-Throw.jpg 162px |
File:Boy-with-Puppy.jpg 172px |
| File:Car-Love.jpg 166px |
File:Baby.jpg 198px |
File:Flower-Power.jpg 177px |
| File:Grenade-Toss.jpg 175px |
File:TV-Grinder.jpg 179px |
File:Grenade-Head.jpg 179px |
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. Please note, 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.
Marathan, aka Crime Scene, 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 here for the Eskigirl Collection as a Flickr slide show.
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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.
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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.
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Vinyl Killers
Several Dolk pieces, 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.
This year after once again taking a lesson for the Aussie's (thanks Satta for all the great advice) and we have expanded into 4 days of events planned to keep the buzz flowing through the weekend. In just a few short weeks after announcing the show the list of confirmed contributors has grown to over 100 artists from 12 countries. With many of the artists from VK1 returning and new crop of rising stars visitors should expect to see continued progression in the work presented as stenciling is continue to experience rapid development as an art form. This combined with two art shows, a painting wall, a DJ dance party, picnic, and fundraiser is all adding up to VK2 quickly becoming the summer vacation hotspot for 2004.
Call your travel agent and start booking your summer trip to Portland. It won't be a party without you (well, actually it will still be a rager but it would be cool if you joined us).
When: June 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th, 2004
Where: Beautiful Portland, Oregon, USA
June 3rd, 6-11 PM Opening party at Zeitgeist Art Gallery, 625 NW Everett, #109
June 4th, 6-?, Large multi record show opening party at Liberty Hall, 311 N. Ivy
June 5th, A stenciling community picnic at the park (Open to the public) - Tentatively scheduled for Laurelhurst Park.
June 6th, VK will have a booth at the fundraiser for Our Garden, a community teaching garden for children ages 4-18. NE Garfield and Fanning.
| File:Che 2004.jpg Che 2004 |
File:Officer Down.jpg Officer Down |
| File:Nuclear Skier.jpg Nuclear Skier |
File:Portrait of a Killer.jpg Portrait of a Killer |
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Early Street Works
A couple of early Dolk street images as seen on Flickr.
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External Links
The Dolk Lungren Fan Forum
The eBay Banksy Discussion Group
Wooster Collective
The non-English Streetart
His commercial prints are available through Pictures on Walls
DOLK on Flickr - Several pictures posted on this page originated from here
Stencil Revolution website
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| 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. |