We are pleased to announce our Exclusive Representation of artist Inger Johanne Grytting and her first solo exhibition with the gallery Life Lines, curated by James Cavello, from November 19 - January 21, 2023.
For over four decades, Inger Johanne Grytting (b. 1949, Norway) has created drawings and paintings focused on gestural mark-making. Grytting is interested in the small, unexpected seismic accidents that enter her process, like when a pencil tip breaks and a small white dot enters the picture plane. Her resulting artworks are left open to an energy of the moment, a synergy of movement without control of outcome.
“My paintings are oil on canvas. I cover the white gesso surface with a thin, gestural underpainting of Burnt Sienna. When this has dried, I mix two close contrasting colors. I now build the parallel lines and their background with a # 2 filbert brush. In places, fragments of reddish underpainting show through.”
- Inger Johanne Grytting
Inger Johanne Grytting was born in the small town of Svolvær, Lofoten Islands in northern Norway. Her hometown was an early inspiration for her due to Lofoten's unique quality of light. In 1972, Grytting moved to the Bowery in New York City, where she studied art at City College of New York.
She is grateful to have been guided by her friend and mentor Jan Groth (1938-2022) who introduced her to the New York art scene. Grytting met many American artists among her circle of friends like Alfred Leslie, Albert Maysles, Red and Mimi Grooms, Tod Papageorge, Mariana Cook, Helen Wilson, and Chaim Gross, and explored many New York art galleries and museums on weekends, all which she credits as her greatest teachers.
Her artwork is exhibited internationally and collected by museums and private collections. Selected museum exhibitions include The Vigeland Museum (Oslo, Norway), and Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum (Tromsø, Norway). Her artworks are in the collection of The National Museum of Art (Oslo, Norway), Stavanger Kunstmuseum (Stavanger, Norway), Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum (Tromsø, Norway), KODE (Bergen, Norway), and others.
Email info@westwoodgallery.com to inquire regarding acquisition.
