John Normand

Original Oil Paintings on Canvas

About

John Normand is a Danish artist, born in Aarhus but located in the trendy Copenhagen neighborhood of Norrebro since the 90-ies.

The debut as a painter in the Danish art scene was back in the late 80-ies at age 25. Ever since, John has been working as a professional artist with exhibitions in galleries nationally and internationally. He has had solo shows and exhibited in artist collectives. For 20 years he has had his own studio as a grassroot gallery with solo shows in Norrebro, Copenhagen and now works in his own studio there.

He describes himself as the alchemist who transforms materials into paintings. Working on canvas with oil paint, photos, plaster, shellac, gold, mud, iron, rust, glass, coffee, bird wings, butterfly wings, feathers, toys or whatever it takes, these objects and materials are transformed into an explosion of narratives encapsulated in a painting.
The motives and character are ever changing and continually evolving, and new techniques and styles emerge. With sublime technical skill and precision, the paintings always clearly and unmistakably bear the signature of John Normand.

The figurative paintings are sometimes fairytale-like with fabulous animals, dream horses and angels, candle flames, mermaids, flowers,water or religious motifs.
There may be a gorgeous, dreamy center figure, but there can also be a repulsive and ugly edge to them, which is in the shellack or coffee he pours over the painting. Every painting is like a real good story or fairytale with the good, the bad and the ugly, with beauty and the beast. One may like some part of the painting and dislike another part of it, but one thing is certain. The paintings are never unimportant or uninteresting. They call for a position.