|
|
|
|
Artist Statement:
Born in Brooklyn, New York,
Ingrid Torjesen grew up
drawing and painting,
surrounded by the paintings of
her Grandfather and Great
Uncle, both Norwegian seascape
painters.
She studied Fine Art at the
H.S. of Art & Design in New
York City, including intensive
instruction in life drawing
and painting classes ...
Further Information
| |
Artist Exhibitions:
October 2007 • Prudential
Amagansett, NY, Sand and Sea,
Solo exhibition.
January - March 2007 • East
Hampton Town Hall, Plein Air
Paintings.
Spring/Summer 2006 • Calypso,
21 Newtown Lane, East Hampton,
NY.
October 2005 • Pierre's
Restaurant, Bridgehampton, NY,
Seascape Oil Paintings, solo
exhibit.
October through December 2004
• East Hampton Town Hall, ...
Further Information
|
|
Artist Galleries:
Coming Soon!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commissions:
Coming Soon!
|
|
|
Reviews for Ingrid Torjesen:
|
|
|
Montauk Pioneer
October 11, 2002.
The East End Show, Depot Gallery
By Lise Visser
"Sucess mixes with the salt air here."
"...Ingrid Torjesen's oil paintings, brilliantly executed, exhibit strength in design that surpasses the usual wet, impressionist seascapes.
Ms. Torjesen was influenced by the drawing and paintings of her grandfather and great uncle, who both painted seascapes.
Her insightful pieces represent the beaches with a technique built on balancing warm with cool colors and sharp contrasts. Strong shadows reinforce the powerful compositions. Ropes and rigging become serpentine - not threatening, but charmed."
THE SOUTHAMPTON PRESS
AUGUST 29, 2002.
Montauk Remains Her Inspiration
By Rebecca Cooper
Although she grew up in Brooklyn, studied under art legend Irwin Greenberg at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan and then worked in New York for several years, it wasn’t until she made the 120-mile trek to Montauk, Ingrid Torjesen says, that she found something truly worthwhile to paint.
She felt the difference immediately upon arriving in her new location. “Montauk is just so … raw, so untouched,” she said in a recent interview in the backyard of her Montauk home, which overlooks the Long
Island Sound, Montauk Lake and the Atlantic Ocean. Gesturing to her surroundings and the vistas beyond, she added, “Here, there is just such incredible beauty.”
“After years of painting in different styles, trying to find my voice, I took a year off from painting,” she said. “Then I moved out here and started painting on location, something I hadn’t done in years.” Nothing matched the thrill of backpacking along Montauk Point or Ditch Plains for the artist, who routinely totes her paints, canvas, easel and camera so she never misses an opportunity. “When I see an incredible scene, with great composition, I have to get it really quick, because everything changes and the sand washes away so quickly,” she said.
Ms. Torjesen attributes her late-blooming passion for surreal beach scenes in part to the influence of Mr.Greenberg, who taught traditional painting techniques. “It was incredibly intense, but I learned so much,” she said. “With him, I relearned how to look at things, to see things in a new way.”
Under the instruction of her professor, the painter said she wasn’t restricted to one style, but it still took her a number of years “to really be free with it.” She believes that another reason she considers her surreal seascapes so satisfying might be found in her family’s artistic history. Ms. Torjesen’s grandfather and great-uncle were both Norwegian painters who focused on the coast and rough surf. “I guess there’s just something in my blood,” she said thoughtfully.
The seasoned artist paints in series that are bound together by medium, size of work, time period and subject matter. Her most recent series, currently on view at the Depot Gallery in Montauk, features rocks and
driftwood as the primary subjects. It was while walking along the beach at Montauk Point that she became fascinated with the glacial rocks.
“Some people just see a rock,” she explained. “What I see is a lifetime. A rock at the edge of the sea has been gazing out for eternity, it has observed a whole span of time.” A lot of that perspective goes into the paintings, which explains why Ms. Torjesen paints surreal works instead of strictly realistic ones. “People
look at them and see all different things,” she said. “Sometimes, they see faces, or other objects, in the rocks.”
Driftwood Ms. Torjesen depicts also gains new dimensions in the eyes of the artist, who sees them as beings at the end of their life, weathered and bleached by the sun, “looking out to sea at the end of life.” She has encountered mangled pieces that resemble snakes, arches and other “unreal” objects, which she believes enhances her surreal style, because although the intricate shapes of driftwood she paints seem unfathomable, they actually do exist naturally.
“In my work there is a constant pull between the real and the surreal,” she said.
Ms. Torjesen paints every day and has amassed a huge body of work since moving to the East End. Before enjoying the panoramic vista that fills her backyard, “I needed to refresh my whole way of looking at the
world,” she said. “Montauk definitely did it for me. It really cleansed my vision.”
Ingrid Torjesen’s paintings will be on view in a group show at the Depot Gallery in Montauk running until
September 2.
The Sag Harbor Express
June 20, 2002
Ingrid Torjesen will be exhibiting her paintings along with other Montauk Artist Association members at the Depot Gallery, Edgemere and Flamingo Road, Montauk, from Saturday, June 29 through Sunday, July 7.
The reception will be on June 29 from 5 to 7 pm. Ingrid Torjesen's paintings focus on the raw natural beauty of local beaches. Her work explores the diverse elements that make up this landscape. Gallery hours are 1-6 pm.
The Southampton Press
June 27, 2002
At The Galleries
The Montauk Artists Association will hold its annual members show at the Depot Gallery on Edgemere Road in Montauk beginning Saturday, June 29, with a reception from 5 to 7 pm. The show will feature the paintings of Ingrid Torjesen, whose work focuses on the the natural beauty of the local beaches, including driftwood in its many shapes and forms. The gallery is open from 1-6pm.
|
|
send an email
