THE VIGELAND “SCULPTURE PARK OF NUDITY”, FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE.
Stages in the life cycle of human beings.
Vigeland Park is the world’s largest sculpture park. Not only that, it is also the world’s largest park, with only naked people.
– What are the themes and issues in our lives from the cradle to the grave?
This seems for me to be the main project of the artist and sculptor Gustav Vigeland’s huge production of sculptures for The Frogner Park, or Vigeland Park in Oslo, Norway.
The most famous bronze sculptures were modeled from 1925 to 1933. These 58 pieces of art were mounted in 1940 on the former bridge built for the World’s Anniversary Exhibition in 1914. The sculptor Gustav Vigeland lived from 1869 to 1943, and his sculpture park contains a total of 212 bronze and granite sculptures.
“A study in orgies, violence and pedophilia”?
In many countries, this buildup of so much nudity would cause problems. For us growing up here and especially in Oslo, it has been a completely natural place to visit with parents on Sundays. Even together with Christian grandparents we walk around in the sculpture park making guesses while commenting on the sculptures. As children we were even allowed to climb around, and upon the granite sculptures . Still kindergarten children are climbing on them with great fun, while parents and tourists take pictures of it.
Some of the criticism I heard as a teenager, was that most people portrayed by the sculptor were so massive, chubby and square. This reaction was often purported by elderly people that survived the second World War with very little food. Then we naturally got a very thin and lean population in general. Not so unlike many of the young and grown ups today. But they’re slim, not because of famine and war. On the contrary: This skinny line has come as a result of years on diet and workout in fitness centers.
Why are the norwegians so thin and slim today?
For what reason, you may ask. For attaining the body ideal of slimness and muscle tone, requested on Facebook? For sure! But also because of a national political effort by our health authorities to avoid life style ilnesses like: High blood pressure, heart diseases, overload of tendons and joints, as well as knees and hips, – everything that may hinder you to exercise daily and to walk or run in parks and in the wood.http://www.selvuniverset.com/2019/07/27/a-lake-for-every-season-and-reason/
Harsh criticism from some particular groups of so called savvy:
Usually we seldom hear any criticism of the symbolic message underlying the many pieces of nude sculptures.
But this is what the French organization “La Lumiere du Monde” writes about the sculptures: “Orgies, violence, pedophilia and other obscenities involving children, sexual depravations of all kinds, symbolic occult and satanic … Here is the cocktail of works (it seems) that you can “admire” in this very special park. .. The Frognerparken, which includes the Vigelandsanlegg, is a public park located in the Frogner district of Oslo. It is a monumental installation of the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland with several hundred works. With more than 2 million visitors a year, the park is Norway’s most visited tourist attraction. Some twisted stage any form of obscenities in the sight of all. But be careful … it’s art, so everything is allowed apparently.“…(translation from french by Google translate)
Life as it is, or life as ideal.
The internationally most popular sculpture of Vigeland is the Sinnataggen.”The angry boy.” For norwegians he is our “Mona Lisa” or “La Gioconda”. (For foreigners Munch’s «Skrik» or «Scream» seems to be our Mona Lisa» As for Sinnataggen, he has been stolen and molested and also his left hand have been cut off. Often he is sprayed down with red or white or put on clothes in the winter. That is not allowed. But the Park is open 24 hours 365 days a year, and even the best guards can not protect him all the time.
Forget what I or the critics told you . Look for yourself and imagine what messages the sculptor or sculptures send to you.
Psychological Universe’s interpretation of the different reactions.
I think different people with different experiences and references, see different things when they study the sculptures. If you have been a victim of violence, you see violent people hurting each other. If you have been sexually abused, you may see tendencies to child abuse in the sculptures and their expression. If you are homophobic or gay, you may detect many situations where men do or are about to do things to each other that remind you of sex.
On the other hand, if you have ordinary references and experiences with relations and nudity, you may see; – joy, love, infatuation, pride, young ones learning from the old, vitality, energy, man’s captivation inside the wheel of life, and the strive for perfection and survival, You may see even much more than what I have shared with you. That is if you take your time reflecting on the impressions altogether, and as a whole.
This concludes our little journey into the naked universe of humanity by Gustav Vigeland.
To our french visitors: Ceci termine notre petit tour de nudité, dans l’univers humain de Gustav Vigeland.
Other reactions to the Vigeland Park: