Born in Silkeborg, Denmark, living in Norway since 1956
Sculptor, member of "norsk billedhuggerforening"; association for norwegian sculptors. Individual exhibitions in various Norwgian towns. Collectiv exhibitons in Sweeden, Finland, Denmark, Germany (Nord-Art international exhibition) and Canada a part from several in Norway. represented five times at the great annual Norwegian exhibition in Oslo; Hostutstillingen, Represented three times at the annual regional exhibition called Ostlandsutstillingen. First price fountain sculpture at State energy company, first price library in Horten, first price High School of Sandar. First and foremost working in an abstract format with stainless steel and plexiglass.
Inspired by Nature
John Gesager Nielsen is a modernist; not only in artistic, sculptural expression but also in his choice of material. Stainless steel and plexiglas are truly modern materials and very much a part of our present time.
Through these materials, and often combining the two, he creates his sculptures in a modern, and often abstract, artistic style. The sculptor is thus a child of his age; expressing, like so many artist before him, the spirit of his age. A closer scrutiny does, however, reveal traces of the figurative – and an obvious influence from traditions and myths.
John Gesager Nielsen was born in Silkeborg, Denmark, but as early as 1956 he moved to Norway, where he has worked ever since. Most of his inspiration is drawn from the Norwegian landscapes; in particular the mountains and the powerful glaciers. Wanderings in such dramatic surroundings have revealed to him the very abstractions of nature – sculptural shapes created by the perpetual influence of the elements.
A distinctive feature of the virginal mountain landscape is the light – and in particular the shifting, volatile light. The weather, the winds and changing seasons recreate the landscape – in a continual, eternal cycle. Gesager Nielsen attempts to catch this light in his sculptures. To the spectator, the piece of art changes as the light is reflected in the glistening steel surface or shattered in the many facets of the plexiglas. The sculpture comes to life – it moves! Thus, the light becomes a vital ”supplementary material” in the art of John Gesager Nielsen; it adds an extra dimension to his sculptures.
To John Gesager Nielsen, the creative process itself is the essence of his life as an artist. He does it all himself – from the initial idea to the finished sculpture. And he shapes his art in close contact with his favourite materials. Steel and plexiglas are tough and demanding substances, but the resistance is also what intrigues and challenges him. It takes enormous patience, and not least strength, to make the material submit to his will, and to Gesager Nielsen the process is as rewarding as the goal – the finished sculpture. What also characterizes our sculptor is his incessant search for original artistic expressions and ideas. And he certainly has the courage to try – as well as fail … Sometimes a new direction turns out to be a blind alley, but when new, open landscapes are unfolded, in the shape of genuine sculptural expressions, the artist has succeeded – and for a wonderful, brief moment he may enjoy the satisfaction of artistic progression. That is, until the next stone is turned and new processes are explored.
No wonder, then, that John Gesager Nielsen’s artistic imagination and beautiful sculptures are being appreciated by an increasing audience, both at home and in recent years also internationally. His art has been purchased by the Norwegian Council for Cultural Affairs, and he has been awarded first prize in several art competitions. His sculptures have also been presented at numerous juryed exhibitions, both home and abroad.
John Gesager Nielsen could have retired and lived the life of a pensioner by now. But for a true artist, the complacent life of a senior citizen is unthinkable. His creative processes and his art is much too important and exciting – it is a true necessity.
Svend E. Hansen, journalist and art writer