Bertil Vallien's Celestial Journey Boat & the Oseberg Viking Burial Ship
Description/Abstract/Artist Statement
Born in 1938 and raised in a devout religious home in Stockholm Sweden, Bertil Vallien became one of the most well-known Swedish glass-designers in the early 1960s. His Celestial Journey Boat (1995) hangs from the ceiling at the Barry Art Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, creating a dream-like floating effect. That Gabriel Gustafson's discovery and unearthing of the Oseberg Viking Burial Ship (1904) was Vallien’s inspiration for Celestial Journey Boat has been confirmed in a 2012 interview. Vallien conceptualized the specific structural, visual, and site-specific placement of an array of items from the ancient ship's discovery and then re-invented them to embody his personal thoughts. Although the Oseberg Viking Ship is much larger than Vallien’s luminous glass vessel, the later artist's intention was to encapsulate his own personal secular journey inside his glass, leaving interpretation open for others.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Dr. Vittorio Colaizzi
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
Art Department
College Affiliation
College of Arts & Letters
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Disciplines
Modern Art and Architecture
Session Title
Art History 3: New Interpretations & Connections
Location
Learning Commons @Perry Library, Room 1306
Start Date
3-25-2023 12:00 PM
End Date
3-25-2023 1:00 AM
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Bertil Vallien's Celestial Journey Boat & the Oseberg Viking Burial Ship
Learning Commons @Perry Library, Room 1306
Born in 1938 and raised in a devout religious home in Stockholm Sweden, Bertil Vallien became one of the most well-known Swedish glass-designers in the early 1960s. His Celestial Journey Boat (1995) hangs from the ceiling at the Barry Art Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, creating a dream-like floating effect. That Gabriel Gustafson's discovery and unearthing of the Oseberg Viking Burial Ship (1904) was Vallien’s inspiration for Celestial Journey Boat has been confirmed in a 2012 interview. Vallien conceptualized the specific structural, visual, and site-specific placement of an array of items from the ancient ship's discovery and then re-invented them to embody his personal thoughts. Although the Oseberg Viking Ship is much larger than Vallien’s luminous glass vessel, the later artist's intention was to encapsulate his own personal secular journey inside his glass, leaving interpretation open for others.