A Brief Look: ‘Norwegian Muskox’ by Sverre Malling

 

One tool that an artist has that seems to either go assumed or ignored by the public is patience. The ability to be still, focused on a single movement contained within a larger piece is a talent that helped to bring to life the work of everyone from the Renaissance era old masters to the modern day pixel-based designer. Stillness and patience are vital elements in the work of Norwegian artist Sverre Malling, who, with each piece captures the solitude of a single idea, a still-life from a new old master.

Malling’s drawing ‘Norwegian Muskox‘ is an exquisite example of what he is capable of. The drawing stands massive at 180 cm x 263 cm (approximately 6′ x 9’), both immense and tender, the drawing is a work of realism, but for foreign eyes, the animal is a surreal beast — a strange amalgam of the wooly mammoth and the bison. It is perfectly balanced, the heft of the coat and weight of the animal tethered to the Norwegian soil. From a distance Malling’s delicate pencil work is reminiscent of H.R. Giger‘s airbrushed pieces — a shared monochromatic palette minus the technical attributes. ‘Norwegian Muskox’ is a masterwork — a drawing that inspires awe with its sheer size and depth of layered graphite.

The print of ‘Norwegian Muskox’ is a bit short of the original’s size at 106 cm x 75 cm (approx 42″ x 28″) but is an accurate reproduction of Malling’s drawing. The print has an edition of 150 with a price tag of £1,200 and is available from London based gallery Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery.