8 October - 15 November 2009
Since 1980 Unn Sønju`s primary aim has been to liberate tapestry from its traditional past by using its unique plastic properties to find new visual solutions to current concerns and observations.
The exhibition “RAW WAR” is a selection from a series of tapestries made as an angry outcry and demonstration against war.
“War is an abomination created by mankind for his own destruction
War is senseless
War is created by the few and destroys the many
War is violent
War is the alibi to murder each other, officially
War is obscene
War hits children and women hardest
War is raw”
Images of conflict, violence and blood bombard us daily in the media. Fact and fiction merge into one gory horror. While the newscasts of current warfare and terror censor out the blood and body parts, this is more than made up for by action films and data games. It appears that violent horror is just an everyday thing mankind must live with! Mankind is becoming increasingly insensitive to the real. War is seemingly not dangerous. It is just entertaining.
The nature of war and the nature of tapestry are very different. Making images and statements about the chaos and consequences of war in wool and linen is obviously perverse. Yet the thinking is that tapestry’s unique plastic properties are so removed from actual war that they can bring a different perspective and vision to the nightmare of war. Equating blood and gore with woven red wool is so extreme it might just trigger a reaction?
Unn Sønju is born in 1938 in Oslo. She has her degree from Oslo University College (former Den Kvinnelige Industriskole i Oslo) 1960 – 62, and College of Arts Leeds, UK, 1957 – 59. She has participated in an impressive amount of group and collective exhibitions in Norway and abroad, and has had more then 30 solo exhibitions from 1971 till today. Sønju has mad numerous commissioned works, several to among others Oslo University College, and her works has been purchased to both private and public collections. She has also had the position of professor in tapestry at Oslo University College.
Soft Galleri
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