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Randi Fisher - svensk modernist

Fagerström, Linda LU (2005)
Abstract
The main subject of this thesis is the art of Swedish artist Randi Fisher (1920-1997). She was educated at Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and mainly worked as a painter in many techniques. Textile art and public art cought her interest, and, from 1960 and onwards, stained glass painting. Even though the strong focus on one single artist may underline a biographical theme, the aim is to shed light on her contemporaries as well - the most well-known beeing Olle Bonniér, Lage Lindell, Pierre Olofsson, Karl Axel Pehrson and Lennart Rodhe. These artists are, in Swedish art history, usually referred to as "The Men of 1947" (the year of their break-through). Their female counterpart, Randi Fisher (part-taker in the famous first... (More)
The main subject of this thesis is the art of Swedish artist Randi Fisher (1920-1997). She was educated at Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and mainly worked as a painter in many techniques. Textile art and public art cought her interest, and, from 1960 and onwards, stained glass painting. Even though the strong focus on one single artist may underline a biographical theme, the aim is to shed light on her contemporaries as well - the most well-known beeing Olle Bonniér, Lage Lindell, Pierre Olofsson, Karl Axel Pehrson and Lennart Rodhe. These artists are, in Swedish art history, usually referred to as "The Men of 1947" (the year of their break-through). Their female counterpart, Randi Fisher (part-taker in the famous first exhibition "Ung konst" in 1947), is seldom mentioned.



Using a method suggested by British art historians Griselda Pollock and Rozsika Parker, the aim is (on the one hand) to present new facts about an earlier "unknown" female artist and her art and, (on the other hand) to critically discuss and deconstruct art history itself, its discourses, categories, values, its implicit or explicit ideologies, hierarchies and canonizing processes.



By applying French cultural sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's theories and methods in combination with gender theory, it is possible to fruitfully examine Randi Fisher's position in the Swedish art field. Thus not only her art, but also her place in the art field and role as an artist becomes an important point of departure in the analysis. In Bourdieu's words, both her cultural, social and economic capital were high and resulted in a strong position: success as a painter, a lot of exhibitions, public commissions. Both Nationalmuseum, and later Moderna Museet in Stockholm bought her works. The sociological perspective is also underlined in an examination of art critics' statements about Fisher's art in newspapers during the 1940s and 1950s respectively.



In order to offer a wide perspective on Fisher's art, both early self-portraits and later abstract and nonfigurative paintings and designs for book-covers, as well as textiles and stained glass paintings are presented and analyzed. Another important trope is her strong engagement in spiritual, political and ideological quesions, and in what ways these subjects also came to influence Randi Fisher's art. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Genom att använda Griselda Pollock och Rozsika Parkers metod för feministisk konstforskning, är syftet att (å ena sidan) presentera nya fakta om en tidigare ?okänd? kvinnlig konstnär och hennes konst samt (å andra sidan) att kritiskt diskutera och dekonstruera konsthistorieskrivningen, dess diskurser, kategoriseringsmodeller, värdegrunder, explicita eller implicita ideologier, hierarkier och kanoniseringsprocesser.



I centrum för avhandlingen står analyser av Fishers verk och frågeställningar kring den moderna konstnärsrollen. Vilka ideal präglade konstnärsrollen under svensk högmodernism? Vad innebar dessa för en kvinnlig konstnär? På vilket sätt influerade det Fishers... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Genom att använda Griselda Pollock och Rozsika Parkers metod för feministisk konstforskning, är syftet att (å ena sidan) presentera nya fakta om en tidigare ?okänd? kvinnlig konstnär och hennes konst samt (å andra sidan) att kritiskt diskutera och dekonstruera konsthistorieskrivningen, dess diskurser, kategoriseringsmodeller, värdegrunder, explicita eller implicita ideologier, hierarkier och kanoniseringsprocesser.



I centrum för avhandlingen står analyser av Fishers verk och frågeställningar kring den moderna konstnärsrollen. Vilka ideal präglade konstnärsrollen under svensk högmodernism? Vad innebar dessa för en kvinnlig konstnär? På vilket sätt influerade det Fishers konstnärskap, dess förutsättningar och begränsningar?



Syftet är att kasta nytt ljus över svensk modernism och dess konsthistorieskrivning, bland annat i analyser av konstkritik, konstnärsideal och konstverk. Genom att studera det som i traditionell historieskrivning framställs som ?periferi? är syftet att ställa nya frågor om det som i samma tradition brukar beskrivas som ?centrala? skeenden och händelseförlopp - och i förlängningen att bidra till insikt om varför det centrala anses just centralt och det perifera perifert.



Vidare appliceras Pierre Bourdieus teorier och metoder i kombination med det ovan nämnda genusperspektivet. Därigenom analyseras inte enbart Fishers konst, utan även hennes position i konstens fält. Både hennes kulturella, sociala och ekonomiska kapital var gott och resulterade i en stark position; framgång som målare, deltagande i flera utställningar, offentliga uppdrag. Både Nationalmuseum och Moderna Museet i Stockholm köpte tidigt in hennes verk. Det konstsociologiska perspektivet understryks även i en undersökning av den konstkritik som skrevs i dagspress om Fishers konst under 1940- och 50-talen.



Hur kommer det sig till exempel att oljemåleri på duk intar en centralposition i modernismens konsthistorieskrivning, medan offentlig konst ofta betraktats som oväsentlig? Varför har kvinnors konst så ofta betraktats som en perifer och marginell del av modernismen? På vilket sätt har ideologisk övertygelse bidragit till konstnärliga val och arbetsmetoder under modernismen? Vilken betydelse har modernismens fixering vid nonfigurativ konst haft för den abstrakta och figurativa konsten?



För att erbjuda ett brett perspektiv på Fishers konst presenteras, tolkas och diskuteras såväl tidiga självporträtt som senare abstrakta och nonfigurativa målningar, bokomslag, textilkonst och glasmåleri. Ett genomgående tema är Fishers starka engagemang i andliga, politiska och ideologiska frågor samt på vilket sätt dessa kom att påverka hennes konst. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Docent Lidén, Elisabeth, Millesgården, Stockholm
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Randi Fisher, Gender and art, Cultural Sociology, Pierre Bourdieu, Concretism, "Men of 1947", Gender and art critiscism, Women artists' self-portraits, Swedish modernism, Public art, Humanities, Humaniora
pages
272 pages
publisher
Ellerströms förlag
defense location
Institutionen för konst- och musikvetenskap, hus Josephson, sal 314 Biskopsgatan 5, Lund
defense date
2005-10-28 10:00:00
ISBN
9172471220
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
497c19ce-b53a-4910-9b14-a1d285ac17e4 (old id 24866)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:08:45
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:02:57
@phdthesis{497c19ce-b53a-4910-9b14-a1d285ac17e4,
  abstract     = {{The main subject of this thesis is the art of Swedish artist Randi Fisher (1920-1997). She was educated at Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and mainly worked as a painter in many techniques. Textile art and public art cought her interest, and, from 1960 and onwards, stained glass painting. Even though the strong focus on one single artist may underline a biographical theme, the aim is to shed light on her contemporaries as well - the most well-known beeing Olle Bonniér, Lage Lindell, Pierre Olofsson, Karl Axel Pehrson and Lennart Rodhe. These artists are, in Swedish art history, usually referred to as "The Men of 1947" (the year of their break-through). Their female counterpart, Randi Fisher (part-taker in the famous first exhibition "Ung konst" in 1947), is seldom mentioned.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Using a method suggested by British art historians Griselda Pollock and Rozsika Parker, the aim is (on the one hand) to present new facts about an earlier "unknown" female artist and her art and, (on the other hand) to critically discuss and deconstruct art history itself, its discourses, categories, values, its implicit or explicit ideologies, hierarchies and canonizing processes.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
By applying French cultural sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's theories and methods in combination with gender theory, it is possible to fruitfully examine Randi Fisher's position in the Swedish art field. Thus not only her art, but also her place in the art field and role as an artist becomes an important point of departure in the analysis. In Bourdieu's words, both her cultural, social and economic capital were high and resulted in a strong position: success as a painter, a lot of exhibitions, public commissions. Both Nationalmuseum, and later Moderna Museet in Stockholm bought her works. The sociological perspective is also underlined in an examination of art critics' statements about Fisher's art in newspapers during the 1940s and 1950s respectively.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
In order to offer a wide perspective on Fisher's art, both early self-portraits and later abstract and nonfigurative paintings and designs for book-covers, as well as textiles and stained glass paintings are presented and analyzed. Another important trope is her strong engagement in spiritual, political and ideological quesions, and in what ways these subjects also came to influence Randi Fisher's art.}},
  author       = {{Fagerström, Linda}},
  isbn         = {{9172471220}},
  keywords     = {{Randi Fisher; Gender and art; Cultural Sociology; Pierre Bourdieu; Concretism; "Men of 1947"; Gender and art critiscism; Women artists' self-portraits; Swedish modernism; Public art; Humanities; Humaniora}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  publisher    = {{Ellerströms förlag}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Randi Fisher - svensk modernist}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5704873/27874.pdf}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}