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.

Presenting Author Name/s

Suzanne Mykleby

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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Mar 25th, 12:00 PM Mar 25th, 1:00 AM

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.