Dolk Rip On / Rip Off May 24th

[Black Apple Art]

This should definitely be interesting 




My new exhibition "Rip on / Rip off" opens the 24th of May at @galleri_se
The exhibition will be in two parts, first out is the "Rip on" concept. 18th of June there will be a book launch and the presentation of part two, "Rip off".
I have moved away from stencils and I consider this my debut exhibition since this is the first time I have made artworks purely for an art gallery and not for the streets.
Both concepts are based on street observations and both are extreme opposites.

[natstan]

Keen to see his new works.

[batemanz]

2 Dolk shows and 1 book in the next months , interesting indeed

[1978per]

Nice! Looking forward to see the response on both exhibitions. The book release should be interesting. He has hired a great photographer (notbent on instagram)

[Chrisp]

This could be funny, embarrassing or amazing. Not liked anything I have seen since the move from stencils, and wasn't a fan of quite a few of those. What are people expecting to see? Do you think anything on paper or canvas or just objects, installations and other things?

[Larry David]

Fearing the worse on this, his last stencil work was piss poor so who knows what this will be like, I am a fan but only of some of the older work.

[mehor]

Lets wait and see and hope. I can only be positively surprised....

[BKBOI]

This show will probably be either a Rip or RIP on his career.

[Poster Bob]

This is the end of his career.

[RolexDave]

Very interesting development indeed. Will other 'Street artists' follow in his lead in an apparent
'opposite' direction?

[Deleted]

good

i like it

he has build himself a strong audience, good to try something new, then go stale producing 'safe' stuff.






(for sale, all my old dolk stuff, please buy before show)

[thomasmer]

May 12, 2016 21:20:58 GMT 1 Poster Bob said:

This is the end of his career.

Such a dickish thing to say.

I hope he smashes it, and departs from all the drudge that we get fed.

Damn rude.

[Forbidden Love]

May 12, 2016 21:20:58 GMT 1 Poster Bob said:

This is the end of his career.

Based on what. Good to see something new

[tab1]

May 12, 2016 21:42:58 GMT 1 RolexDave said:

Very interesting development indeed. Will other 'Street artists' follow in his lead in an apparent
'opposite' direction?

Probably not , most artists have found the commercial mould and rather continue in the same direction and make money rather than challenging themselves and the market

When a popular edition is sold out , you now see an extra 10-50 editions popping up labelled as 1/1 as of slight colour changes or collabs with multiple artists

Think Dolk needed to try something different , his market was becoming stagnant , edition sizes too big and good to see not repetitive themes and images like others

[Deleted]

May 12, 2016 21:20:58 GMT 1 Poster Bob said:

This is the end of his career.

Think you'll find it's the beginning. Stencil Artists for the most, graduated from Graphic Design courses or transitioned from other design work after being inspired by Banksy, both by his creativity and obvious success in the nascent "urban" art scene. Banksy established a model that's emulated by 100s of young artists and older chancers every year. It's not really a form that allows an artist to explore his or her "inner" in the same way that a painter is able to do. For all of this, Dolk came the closest to exploring the darker and more existential aspects of the human condition through the use of the stencil. The closest to "Art" in it's purest form if you like. He's struggled for years to shake of the demands of his previous success, pushing into quite brave territory. The "misses" on the "urban" scene, Sleepwalker etc. "who wants a wheelchair on the wall etc" say far more about the "buyers" than the artist.

I think what we're seeing, is a "urban" artist recognising just how banal and pathetic most of the expression in Stencil Art has become. A sad pastiche of its former self, and rather than spend the next 10 years regurgitating his greatest hits for forumites or stencilling kids spraying hearts, he's decided to nurture that little seed of "Art" that's been steadily growing inside him for the last 10 years. End of a urban art career maybe, but from that, the birth of an artist.

peace 

[Chrisp]

May 13, 2016 10:19:38 GMT 1 @martedanielsen said:

May 12, 2016 21:20:58 GMT 1 Poster Bob said:

This is the end of his career.

Think you'll find it's the beginning. Stencil Artists for the most, graduated from Graphic Design courses or transitioned from other design work after being inspired by Banksy, both by his creativity and obvious success in the nascent "urban" art scene. Banksy established a model that's emulated by 100s of young artists and older chancers every year. It's not really a form that allows an artist to explore his or her "inner" in the same way that a painter is able to do. For all of this, Dolk came the closest to exploring the darker and more existential aspects of the human condition through the use of the stencil. The closest to "Art" in it's purest form if you like. He's struggled for years to shake of the demands of his previous success, pushing into quite brave territory. The "misses" on the "urban" scene, Sleepwalker etc. "who wants a wheelchair on the wall etc" say far more about the "buyers" than the artist.

I think what we're seeing, is a "urban" artist recognising just how banal and pathetic most of the expression in Stencil Art has become. A sad pastiche of its former self, and rather than spend the next 10 years regurgitating his greatest hits for forumites or stencilling kids spraying hearts, he's decided to nurture that little seed of "Art" that's been steadily growing inside him for the last 10 years. End of a urban art career maybe, but from that, the birth of an artist.

peace 

If any of his most recent wall pieces are anything to go by it's not looking good, but yes stencil art is getting a little bit tired to say the least.

[Deleted]

May 13, 2016 10:49:57 GMT 1 Chrisp said:

May 13, 2016 10:19:38 GMT 1 @martedanielsen said:

Think you'll find it's the beginning. Stencil Artists for the most, graduated from Graphic Design courses or transitioned from other design work after being inspired by Banksy, both by his creativity and obvious success in the nascent "urban" art scene. Banksy established a model that's emulated by 100s of young artists and older chancers every year. It's not really a form that allows an artist to explore his or her "inner" in the same way that a painter is able to do. For all of this, Dolk came the closest to exploring the darker and more existential aspects of the human condition through the use of the stencil. The closest to "Art" in it's purest form if you like. He's struggled for years to shake of the demands of his previous success, pushing into quite brave territory. The "misses" on the "urban" scene, Sleepwalker etc. "who wants a wheelchair on the wall etc" say far more about the "buyers" than the artist.

I think what we're seeing, is a "urban" artist recognising just how banal and pathetic most of the expression in Stencil Art has become. A sad pastiche of its former self, and rather than spend the next 10 years regurgitating his greatest hits for forumites or stencilling kids spraying hearts, he's decided to nurture that little seed of "Art" that's been steadily growing inside him for the last 10 years. End of a urban art career maybe, but from that, the birth of an artist.

peace 

If any of his most recent wall pieces are anything to go by it's not looking good, but yes stencil art is getting a little bit tired to say the least.

It's conceptual innit.. erasing a career by creating buffs, (and how do you buff a commissioned buff? made me think and laugh) anyway, another step on the path towards transitioning to studio based work.

This reminded me of it, similar concept in reverse from Mathieu Tremblin. Topical considering what happend to Blu in Bologna. Dolk's buff works are part of the same conversation IMO

[twist65]

Just because something has a concept behind it, it doesn't make it good by default.
I thought the buff pieces and drippy dead stencil canvases posted recently were weak.
If they were part of a cathartic process for the artist then good for him.
Maybe he reached his own personal limits of what he could express through stencils, I don't think you can blame the medium itself for that, but am looking forward to seeing Dolks new direction nonetheless, always good to see an artists taking risks. If it doesn't work out he can always do an Eelus and go back to the crowd-pleasers.

[Deleted]

May 13, 2016 14:23:22 GMT 1 twist65 said:

Just because something has a concept behind it, it doesn't make it good by default.
I thought the buff pieces and drippy dead stencil canvases posted recently were weak.
If they were part of a cathartic process for the artist then good for him.
Maybe he reached his own personal limits of what he could express through stencils, I don't think you can blame the medium itself for that, but am looking forward to seeing Dolks new direction nonetheless, always good to see an artists taking risks. If it doesn't work out he can always do an Eelus and go back to the crowd-pleasers.

"Just because something has a concept behind it, it doesn't make it good by default".

Don't think I've ever heard anyone state that all concepts are good by default.

But it was for sure beyond urban arts "good v's "bad v's awesome v's awesome with added glitter ;-) ", I found it interesting/challenging and a good topic for debate for most of the people I know working in the culture.

[Deleted]

"Rip on, Rip off" is also a term used by narcotics police.

[hertis]

Article in todays Norwegian paper:  The New Dolk (yeah its in Norwegian)

[pinkerton]

[Peter Bengtsen]

May 20, 2016 10:19:31 GMT 1 hertis said:

Article in todays Norwegian paper:  The New Dolk (yeah its in Norwegian)

And behind a paywall.

[phoj]

So basically he has gone from stencils to scratching keys in aluminum surfaces. Great

[Press Play]

May 13, 2016 10:49:57 GMT 1 Chrisp said:

If any of his most recent wall pieces are anything to go by it's not looking good, but yes stencil art is getting a little bit tired to say the least.

Dolk said this to A-magasinet regarding those walls (translated):

What you saw in Ålborg was nothing, says Dolk.

- What?

- It was just sketches, just something I made up on the spot. Hehe, you should see the face of the curator. Then you would know it was all worth it.

- You did that just to provoke?

- I gave a damn what the curator and people wanted. I thought this was much more interesting than stencils. I wanted to go back to the roots where you just didn't give a damn and had fun. People thought I had gone insane. My work was the only work that provoked enough to get painted over, he says while he laughs so hard his shoelaces trembles

- I don't think I'll get invited back to Ålborg

[tab1]

May 20, 2016 14:22:14 GMT 1 Press Play said:

May 13, 2016 10:49:57 GMT 1 Chrisp said:

If any of his most recent wall pieces are anything to go by it's not looking good, but yes stencil art is getting a little bit tired to say the least.

Dolk said this to A-magasinet regarding those walls (translated):

What you saw in Ålborg was nothing, says Dolk.

- What?

- It was just sketches, just something I made up on the spot. Hehe, you should see the face of the curator. Then you would know it was all worth it.

- You did that just to provoke?

- I gave a damn what the curator and people wanted. I thought this was much more interesting than stencils. I wanted to go back to the roots where you just didn't give a damn and had fun. People thought I had gone insane. My work was the only work that provoked enough to get painted over, he says while he laughs so hard his shoelaces trembles

- I don't think I'll get invited back to Ålborg

Must have a healthy bank balance not to care of future perception of his art , might bite him in the future who knows ?

Did he get a fee for painting his effortless works?

[1978per]

If someone could post the complete article, that would be great. I think it is a great article which gives insight in what he's doing now and why. It's a bold move doing a completely new direction and time will show how he succeeds. And if. I think he will and that the new direction has a lot of exciting new works coming up.

I'm looking forward to both exhibitions and curious to see the book release with these works placed around in outside environments.

[Press Play]

** Google Translate **


Krrrggrrritsj!

The key wobbling across the black lacquered metal. An uneven meter long strip cut into sassy, ​​glossy car paint.

- Perfect, says the man in hoodie, he looks pleased at varnishes year.

But before the country's motor enthusiasts erupt in collective crying, it must be noted that it was the man's own varnish that was just scratched. After spending tens of thousands of crowns at first to have a big aluminum sheet; then get it professionally painted as perfect as possible. All together to create wounds in a perfect over ate.

The man is the anonymous street artist Dolk.

He is ready for his perhaps greatest leap ever.



A SHOCK.

Tuesday May 24th the curtain up for Rip on / rip off, rock heed the new solo exhibition in his hometown. But you Dolk fan and hope ere classic sjablongmalerier at Gallery S.E., you're going to be long in the mask.

In all silence, Dolk spent the past two years as the minimal ised, conceptual contemporary, quite a different planet than street art he is known for. But at the same time is Bergen wandering spray mystery back where he started: On the street.

Although the new his works are contemporary, is basically still urban urban and vandalism. Which is exactly what the public accused Dolk for until same Freedom began buying his images and give him commissions.

- Keys varnish is an act of hatred and envy, it

creates so much irritation that nobody can see it as an artistic act. But no matter how you twist and turn it, so set your mark on something, says Dolk.

And stressed that he in no way supports oppskra- ping of cars.

He nods toward a large, black image leaning against the gallery wall.

- Without scratch would the surface there just been a big, black mirror. Now it is a statement about the plot, the environment - and yourself. The perfect is boring, says Dolk and "keys" finished one of the unkende new works.

Though, already last year it was actually possible to see how Dolk was headed.



FRAMED ALL.

Lysverket is not just one of Bergen's most celebrated eateries. Gourmet restaurant also has a revolving art exhibition where one image can fit at a time - among other things, several of daggers sjablongbilder shown here. Secretly became one of dagger new artwork hung there in the fall. Without signature, but a huge scratch across much of the glossy Ferrari-red image.

- Nobody realized something, chuckling restaurant owner Fredrik Saroea.

- The picture hung in there for quite some time without anyone realized it was of such a pro stalled artist. Incredibly witty, chuckling Saroea, also known as the lead singer of Datarock. He's even been accused of being the secrecy full artist.

- One day telephoned local newspaper Askøyværingen and asked if I was Dolk. It was incredibly sweet. I considered answering yes, smiles Saroea.

He finds it fascinating how talented Dolk has been to keep your identity hidden.

- He is a nice guy who does not get much out of them. Many years ago we were at Quart together - and I knew that it was Dolk I was at the festival with.



UNKNOWN CELEBRITY.

In 2003 Dolk their first tentative experiments with spray paint and carved cardboard. Since then he has traveled around the Earth to put their subtle, thought-provoking mark on cities from London to Lisbon from Osaka to Oslo, Bergen to Brooklyn. Press put up for sale have been sold out in seconds. In all these years he has managed to keep your identity hidden behind a pseudonym and a hoodie.

- It is important for me, says Dolk.

- People do not seem to value of being anyone being able to shop without being stared at. I just want to work in peace and quiet. And the fact that street art is illegal, well - street art is so low on the criminal rank trail as it is possible to get. It's not just drug deal I'm doing.

- Has it been difficult to remain hidden?

- I've certainly made an effort, yes. Fame has never been good for anyone.



REBELLION.

At Gallery S.E. is spring Kjell Nupen exhibition on the way out. Partial Farris ashes and used spray cans are strewn across the floor. Along the walls are pictures that has just come from the paint shop, some of them are not yet fully unpacked brown paper.

- It feels good to do something new, says the artist.

- Now nears the end of two years of work. Very much has not worked. A whole year's work went down the drain before things loose.

For three or four years ago began the ideas to change.

- I could not think stencils anymore. Everything was appears different, ideas began to be more advanced, more colorful. I had no choice - I could not do more sjab- longer, it was like going to work.

He says that there was little support to get from his next few; many of them gave a clear indication they did not like the shift has away from the stencil aesthetics.

- It was motivation to continue. In the beginning no one liked stencils either.

- Is Rip on / rip off a comeback?

- I do not think so. The exhibition is a rebellion against myself, against my previous work. But I do not go away from my previous work, I take them to a new level.



FIGHTING.

Last summer saw the first signs that something was about to happen. First launched Dolk pressure 3 x Chief, where he had painted over one of their own Indians firefighter chiefs with a gray square. So appeared puzzling photographers up at daggers Instagram account. The pictures were of a street arts festival in Aalborg. One showed a white, worm-like gures with black dots on. On the second one could see a massive brick building, where Dolk had simply painted a giant, gray rkant. The discussions today was boiling over with interpretations and speku installations. What the heck was this? Had it scribbled for the guy?

- What you saw in Aalborg, has never been anything said Dolk.

- What?

- It was just sketches, things I came in there and then, on

street. Hehe, you should have seen the face of gallery owner afterwards, you would have though that it was worth it!

- You did it just to provoke?

- I gave a damn what gallerist and people wanted - I thought this was much more interesting than the stencils. I would return to the roots, where one gave a damn and had fun. People thought I had gone mad. My photos were the only ones provoked enough to be painted over, he says and laughs as shoelaces shakes.

- I will probably not be invited to Aalborg again.



THREE SECONDS.

Some images are scratched with enough shelf or screwdriver. Some have Dolk dragged into lewdness next step, where damage is attempted fixed with sprays of almost the same color - it will obviously only worse. In some works have an imaginary car owner realized that the attempt to kse strip made it worse, so he tried to rub and wash spray away again. Of course with further exacerbated result.

- A collector who saw one of these pictures, saying "you can not take as much paid for this, you've just spent three seconds below to create it." But I have spent two years in the studio to get the line so I want it. It is the most provocative line that exists. This is by far the best I've created.



Obsessed.

In recent weeks, Dolk gladly worked 16 hours every day to finish the exhibition.

- But I do not see it as work. Art is the only thing I can, the only thing I want to work with. I'm completely obsessed, he says, bumping into a spray so it falling.

- What are your ambitions?

- It's not going to hide that I will enter the galleries and museums; show that the work is timeless and original. I see this as my debut exhibition.

- Oh well?

- Before I made things for street corner, which was subsequently taken into galleries. This is the first time I make art for a gallery or an institution.

- Is this a farewell to stencils?

- Everything you associate me with, is on break, says Dolk. - You are tired stencils?

-Yes.



GRANDMOTHER.

- You are doyen of Norwegian street art, how do you see this scene in 2016?

- Total uninteresting, unimportant and over adic. It's worse than when I started in 2003, except I will say that everything I've done, is so sublime, that is. It seems that even grandmother has begun with street art. Large parts of the street ART world has total lack of self-censorship.

- Do you think that street art boom is over?

- No, there are new fans and athletes all the time. Street art has become a very powerful art form. But the genre needs a renewal if it is to remain interesting.

He stressed that Rip on / rip off not only a settlement with the current street art, but also with himself.

- I could no longer do something I feel so little attached. It's about trust themselves, to move forward, to make choices that feel right.

- Are you more proud of this than your previous works? - Much, much more.

FREEDOM. It's no secret that Dolk has served well on their tinkling spray cans. He has sold art for ere tens of million, although not all the proceeds end up with the artist. In the peak year of 2013, the year when exhibitions no Wildlife achieved record visit to Gallery S.E., had street artist a taxable income of over 11 million - seven times more than the Prime Minister.

- The money goes out again. Almost everything I earn goes to art. I dare not even clear the production costs of this exhibition. It's been insanely much money, says Dolk.



- But yeah, I have more financial freedom. Now I for example. travel to New York at short notice if one of the favorite artists of my exhibits. It's about understanding for art, he says.

- Many artists are struggling very, I did well in the beginning. Until 2010, I had wretched living conditions, I lived and worked illegally in a building that should be demolished. Instead, I used the money to travel, spreading the message and attachment. Now everything goes to art.

INTO THE UNITED STATES. Galle Shake Sjur Nedreaas expecting heavy demand when Rip on / rip off opens on Tuesday. On Wildlife exhibition in 2013 sold Dolk 5 million - before the exhibition had opened.

- The interest was enormous. We've never had so many visitors before, says.

Also this time the gallery has sold photo before the exhibition opens.

- It's quite unusual. We have sold tens ere pictures. Many customers bought ers, says.

According to gallery owner has a major American art collector bought no less than eight new horseshoe images, a figure the artist herself confirms.

- The person has a vast collection, with, among others, Rothko and Picasso. We see this as confirmation dagger new work, says.

But it's more than just minimalist images at once.



To VESTLAND, VESTLAND.

Together with photographer Bent René Synnevåg has Dolk riding Vestlandet around and photographed artworks in Norwegian nature, where bits of Western Norway can be seen as re ections in the pictures. The photographs will be used in a book that launched about a month. In're at it should exhibit rigged entirely about. Out with car paint images, into a totally different and yet unknown type of works that are also based on the street scene.

- That's where rip off brought back memories come in, says Dolk cryptic.

- How do you think the reception will be like?

- Some are going to hate this, others will like it. I understand well if old fans get a little strange taste in the mouth, but I do not think so. I have to take some chances. For the first time in my life I do not care about what people think.

[Cardiff]

Did he consult w Faile before deciding to do this?

[Howard Johnson]

Bravo. It may be brilliant or terrible but thank god it's new. This scene desperately needs a shot in the arm and if this exhibition is successful I think it will give more artists confidence to branch out of thier wheelhouses.