Nallefåtölj (Teddy Bear Armchair)
A wide armchair has been created from a piece of marble. The backrest has the shape of a teddy bear with outstretched arms. A child who sits there may experience it as crawling into the teddy bear's arms. The head is exposed with a slight turn to the left as if it had seen something in that direction. The large globular eyes without pupils, the square nose and the paws without claws reveal that the model is a stuffed animal rather than a real bear. The sculpture's small-rough surface creates the impression that the teddy bear has a soft coat.
A teddy bear can be a very good friend in early childhood. And has been just that for many generations of children. Teddy bears have been manufactured for about a century now actually. Karin Johansson’s teddy bear is carved in marble and at the same time forms a softly curved armchair. You can climb right up and sit in the teddy bear’s lap.
During the 1990s, the term “relational art” came into use for artistic expressions that challenged conventional art forms and often put the focus on interaction with the viewer. Johansson’s work is not a performance or anything else typical of relational art. Yet although the work in this case is something so traditional as a marble sculpture, the viewer is, even here, in the centre.
By making something that is at once both a sculpture and a piece of furniture, the artist has in a tangible and physical way left space in the middle of her work for the viewer to occupy.
Neither teddy bears nor armchairs are part of the usual public space, but rather both customarily belong to the private sphere and the safe space of the home. Perhaps a teddy bear armchair can make both art and the public space feel a little safer and more inviting. Have you tested sitting down in it?
Konstverk: Nallefåtölj (Teddy Bear Armchair)
Konstnär: Karin Johansson
År: 1993
Material: Ekeberg marble (dolomite)
Placering: In Stadsparken, by Svartån.
Ägare: Örebro läns trädgårdsaktiebolag
Konstverkets position på karta
Publicerad:
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